8,410,817 passengers, 150 scheduled connections, 40 new connections, 24 carriers, 114 airports and 32 countries – here are the Kraków Airport’s figures for 2019.
“Passenger no. 8 million travelling to Kraków with LOT Polish Airlines, the announcement of Wizz Air’s new base and 40 new connections – these are the results of hard work put in by the entire Kraków Airport team. Focusing on security, improving service quality and creating a rich flight network are at the heart of our airport’s development and activities within the economic system of Małopolska and Kraków” – says Radosław Włoszek, Kraków Airport’s CEO.
STATISTICS FOR 2019
In total, 8,410,817 passengers were handled in 2019, i.e. 24% more than in 2018, which is 1,641,448 more than in the preceding year. Similarly to previous years, the most popular destinations to and from Kraków were London, Frankfurt and Warsaw. As far as the most popular countries are concerned, our passengers mostly flew to the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Italy and Norway. The most desirable holiday destinations were Portugal, Turkey, Spain, Cyprus and Malta. The most popular destination cities were Gran Canaria, Mallorca, Tenerife and Alicante.
Opening of the Wizzair base
In 2019, Kraków Airport became the 25th Wizz Air base. The carrier now has 3 Airbus A320 planes and offers 18 connections to 15 countries #FLYKRK. Our passengers could fly to such places as: London, Kiev, Nice, Turku, Doncaster, Bari, Billund, Catania, Kharkiv, Rome, Oslo, Larnaca, Turin, Kutaisi, Tel Aviv, Reykjavik, Birmingham and Eindhoven.
ACI Airport Customer Experience accreditation for Kraków Airport
Kraków Airport is one of the first European airports and the very first Polish airport that received the ACI Airport Customer Experience accreditation. The accreditation is awarded to airports that constantly strive to raise passenger service standards and prioritize passenger security and comfort. Kraków Airport constantly conducts initiatives aimed at improving service quality and passenger experience. It listens to their needs and closely monitors all feedback received from passengers who #FLYKRK. In 2019, a series of unconventional measures were introduced. They were very well received by the passengers. Passengers departing from Kraków Airport are offered short cardiorespiratory fitness sessions to prepare them for their flights. The airport also hired Zen, a border collie dog, that – along with its owner and behaviourist Kasia – helps those who are afraid of flying to alleviate stress. They can be both found in the departure area.
Investments
Małopolska is an attractive European destination for tourism, investments and business alike, while Kraków Airport is a key element of the country’s transport infrastructure. The growing demand for air transport makes market players innovate, grow their flight networks and offer adequate and secure infrastructure for both carriers and passengers. In 2019, the following projects were completed: renovation (i.e. construction and reconstruction) of the existing airport apron, construction of a rainwater drainage system connected to the waterworks and sewage systems (the project was conducted along with MPWiK S.A.) and a section of the airport apron with deicing capabilities along with its supporting infrastructure.
Social Involvement
In 2019, Kraków Airport implemented a new programme entitled “Improving the acoustic comfort of the inhabitants of the Area of Limited Use for Kraków Airport”. The initiative is aimed at supporting those inhabitants of the ALU who wish to change their windows for those with higher acoustic resistance. As part of the programme,the airport financed building acoustic measurements upon collecting requests and conducting their formal evaluation. Buildings that met the requirements received financial support required to fit new doors and windows. During the process carried out between March and April 2019 208 requests were filed and subsequently formally evaluated. 112 of them were approved.
Last year, the 2nd edition of the “Close to Airport” grant programme was held. Its goal is to provide financial support to infrastructure projects implemented in eight village districts located closest to the airport. The target audience of the programme were the inhabitants of Aleksandrowice, Balice, Rząska, Szczyglice, Cholerzyn, Chrosna, Mników and Morawica. All in all, 10 projects were funded. In 2019, the 11th edition of the “Supporting our Neighbours” grant programme was also organised. The programme aims at supporting local initiatives for the inhabitants of Zabierzów and Liszki communes. In 2019, 11 out of 51 submitted initiatives received funding.
Aviation Education Centre – new exhibitions and awards
Kraków Airport’s Aviation Education Centre opened 2 years ago is a unique educational project in whole Europe. Its visitors of different age groups learn about the way airport operates, participate in specialised activities, workshops and e-learning courses. Even the youngest children can get familiar with air travel through learning and fun. In 2019, Aviation Education Centre’s workshops were attended by 11,386 persons in 439 groups. In October the following new exhibitions were opened: the CITES interactive map, an exact replica of an aircraft interior and a VR Marchaller Room, i.e. an installation that simulates the work of aircraft marshallers. The Kraków Airport’s Aviation Education Centre enjoyed a streak of success in 2019. It received a special certificate from the Polish Tourist Organization in the Best Travelling Product contest. Moreover, it was accepted to the SpiN (Society and Science) Association.
