Kraków 2013-11-14
Balice Airport.
Geographic coordinates: 50.078N 19.786E. Elevation 241 m.
Photo description: Boeing B.737-85F aircraft, registration SP-ENZ, manufactured by Enter Air. Previously used with Air Berlin. In Enter Air since January 17, 2011.
In the new age. 2000 year.
What began to happen in Balice at the turn of the century overshadows everything that has happened since 1963. Such dynamic development is the undoubted success of the Port of Balice. All shareholders of the Company were keenly interested in the most favorable development. However, we must emphasize that people travel to Krakow not because there is a nice airport in Balice, but because a flight is within their reach and they go to Krakow or Małopolska for a specific purpose. A simple example; we are flying to Rome and we are not interested in the fact that we landed at the provincial airport of Ciampino and not in beautiful Fiumicino.
13 PLTr was disbanded on December 31, 2000, pursuant to the Order of the Minister of National Defense No. PF 24 of October 3, 2000, and on January 1, 2001, the 13th Transport Aviation Squadron and the 8th Air Base were established.
2000 year.
In 2000, the construction of the airport's technical facilities began. The facility is located on the premises of the former car exchange in the eastern part of the airport. It consisted of three large halls, connected by smaller warehouse halls.
2001 year.
The expansion of the terminal was completed in April 2001 and consecrated by Cardinal Franciszek Macharski. This important day was commemorated in the form of a commemorative plaque. Such an expanded terminal was capable of serving 1,300,000 - 1,500,000 passengers.
2002 year.
In 2002, the 13th ELTr received the first M-28 B Bryza-TD aircraft, with a total weight of 7,500 kg. These planes replaced the aging An-2.
In 2002, another small module was launched in the terminal. It included a waiting room for first-class and VIP passengers and four additional passenger check-in counters.
2003 year.
In 2003, the Irish low-cost airline Ryanair conducted talks about opening connections from Krakow airport. However, the airport authorities did not agree to reduce airport fees. However, the city and provincial authorities have taken action to build Terminal 2 for low-cost airlines. However, there were difficulties related to the complicated ownership situation of the airport and the lack of a clear situation as to who was responsible for it. Although a new terminal has not yet been built, the first low-cost airlines have already appeared, which forced traditional carriers to lower prices on some routes.
In 2003, 13 ELTr adopted the first CASA C-295 M aircraft. These machines replaced the long-lived An-26 aircraft. By December 2008, 12 C-295 M machines were accepted. But in January 2008, one Nb 019 plane was lost in a crash, and, more tragically, 20 officers from the Polish Air Force were killed. Honor their memory!
In 2003, the platform platform (PPS) was expanded again by another 90,000 m2. This expanded platform received as many as 17 positions for aircraft of the reference code C (B 737, A 320).
In 2003, Balice Airport served over 500,000 passengers.
2004 year.
In 2004, new connections appeared in Central Europe. The Katowice Airport in Pyrzowice, better known to aviation enthusiasts as the Mierzęcice Military Airport, has become a serious competitor. Katowice did a better job of attracting cheaper carriers. Additionally, the offer included information; flights from Krakow abroad, and they carried them out by transporting passengers by coach from Krakow to Pyrzowice. As a result, passengers benefited.
On May 1, 2004, the Republic of Poland joined the European Union, which opened the Polish market to foreign competition. Foreign airlines, mainly low-cost ones, flocked to Poland in large numbers. In Balice they appeared; Germanwings (24/06/2004, flights to Cologne), Sky Europe (30/09/2004, Slovak carrier, no longer existing), Easy Jet (13/10/2004, the first to inaugurate regular connections from Krakow to Western Europe).
Balice Airport was the first (together with Warsaw and Gdańsk) to receive the right to serve passengers in accordance with the laws of the Schengen Agreement, i.e. simplified check-in (no passports, only ID cards) for European citizens associated in the alliance. In 2004, an agreement was signed between the Polish Army and the Company on the principles of using the flight field and the devices installed there. The agreement regulated the rights and obligations of each party as well as methods of financing and conservation. The third party to the agreement was AMW, which agreed on the method of leasing 260 hectares on which subsequent Civil Airport facilities were built and were being built. These 260 hectares also include the DS (RWY) and the main taxiway. The Polish Army left only the strict area of the 8th Air Base with part of the take-off field. Balice Airport has been entered into the register of civil airports. The multilateral agreement was concluded for a period of 20 years, until 2024.
2005 year.
In 2005, work was carried out on the interior of the terminal to adapt it to the Schengen check-in system. The number of security checkpoints has been increased, additional customs and passport control points have been increased, and waiting rooms for passengers who have already passed the security check have been enlarged.
On October 30, 2005, Ryanair, a giant among low-cost carriers, started flights from Krakow. In 2005, Balice Airport served over 1,586,000 passengers. This was a huge growth dynamics, but it was caused by the beginning of another great emigration of Poles looking for a living.
Photo description: Boeing B.737-800 aircraft, registration EI-DCK, Ryanair. MSN 33565, #1563, built September 2004.
Photo description: Boeing B.737-800 aircraft, registration EI-DCW, Ryanair. MSN 33568, #1631, built January 2005.
Road connection.
The A4 motorway runs in the immediate vicinity of the airport, with a motorway junction in three directions; Katowice, Krakow Center and the Western-Southern Ring Road. The first sections of the motorway were put into operation in 1985. The ride to the city center takes 20-30 minutes.
The former airport connection with Krakow was carried out via four road connections. There were two basic paths. The first one to the north through Zabierzów and Bronowice, the second to the south through Kryspinów, Bielany and Przegorzały. The other two roads were shorter but narrow. One through Mydlniki to Bronowice, the other through Olszanica and Chełm to Ciche Kącik.
Plans for the future, in 2009, looked promising; the city was planned to build a new two-lane road to the airport, which would start at today's corner of Aleja Armii Krajowej, near the Widok housing estate. Construction of a new provincial road connecting Zabierzów with Kryspinów through Wola Justowska. This would relieve the traffic on the existing road No. 774 Zabierzów-Kryspinów. GDDKiA will connect new roads with a system of exits to the Krakow bypass and the A4 motorway.
On November 4, 2006, the airport served its 2 millionth passenger. At that time, Balice Airport was connected to 45 airports in the world. Throughout 2006, Balice Airport served 2,367,000 passengers.
2007 year.
Since 2007, Balice Airport had a new logo in the form of dandelions floating in the air. A shortened name also began to be used; Kraków Airport.
Domestic Terminal, also known as Terminal 2.
In 2007, the terminal was already crowded. Therefore, it was decided to place a domestic terminal capable of handling 500,000 passengers per year in the technical facilities that served as workshops and garages for airport vehicles and equipment. Its usable area is 1,800 m2 (1,733 m2).
In 2007, Balice Airport exceeded 3 million passengers for the first time (3,068,000 passengers/year). This result turned out to be difficult to repeat because in 2008, there was a slight collapse in commercial transport. In 2008, Balice Airport served 2,923,000 people.
2009 year.
In 2009, a multi-level discussion began on the future of Balice Airport. Actions that were close and possible to be implemented, as well as distant and unrealistic ones, were discussed.
A real task that had already started (in 2013) was to expand the terminal towards the east. The new terminal will be able to handle up to 5,000,000 - 9,000,000 passengers per year. It is located between the existing terminal and the cargo terminal. It should also be remembered that the Polish Army donated another 33 hectares needed for the development of the civilian airport for investment.
Together with the new terminal, the platform platform will be expanded once again. It is to accommodate 30 C-code aircraft and three D-code aircraft. Not to mention a dozen or so small general aviation planes.
New runway.
A much more difficult topic was the construction of the second DS (RWY). There is no doubt that the current standard among commercial airports is a system of two parallel DS (RWY). Thanks to this arrangement, the airport operates all the time, because the renovation of one road does not interrupt traffic. Current regulations require that one road be separated from another by at least 2,000 m. There is no place for such a solution in Balice. It is only 1,800 m to the A 4 motorway. A viable solution would be a second RWY crossing the existing one. It should be remembered that currently one RWY can handle up to 10 million passengers. Two RWYs allow to reach 18 million passengers.
In Balice, the problem with RWY is much more difficult because the existing runway cannot be extended. Therefore, the concept of a new runway at an angle to the current one was created, and the current one would become a taxiway.
Other modernizations.
Also in 2010, a new section of the taxiway was put into use, the so-called connector, which connected the eastern part of the platform with the main taxiway and RWY. Thanks to this, the platform has two paths to the take-off field. The number of possible taxiing operations has increased from 17 to 32 / hour. At the same time, a de-icing station for aircraft and 3 additional parking spaces were created.
In 2010, RWY received a new glide path angle indicator, PAPI lights and a vertical marking illumination system on the take-off field.
At the end of the summer flight timetable season (October 27, 2010), LOT Polish Airlines withdrew from operating the Krakow-Chicago connection. This caused great indignation among passengers and the local authorities of Krakow and Lesser Poland. Unfortunately, at that time LOT Polish Airlines, under the management of the Masonic-liberal government of the Republic of Poland, Donald Tusk, was poorly managed and was generating large losses. Poland was being liquidated.
2011 year.
In 2011, Balice Airport received a new ILS system, category I, which eventually obtained category II.
New air traffic control tower.
In 2011, plans for a new air traffic control tower were approved. The tower, built in the 50s, does not fulfill its tasks because the airport platform cannot be seen from it. The new TWR was located in the forest between the military hangar and the platform. Prochem SA won the competition for the tower design. The tower was placed on a plot of 8,800 m2. Construction began in spring 2013 and was completed in December 2014. The TWR equipment lasted until 2018.
TWR facility data: Total height of the facility 32.5 m. Operating level 26.2 m. Usable area of the tower 1,651.5 m2. Usable area of the entire building: 2,485 m2. Total volume: 12,550 m3. Building area 1,420.5 m2.
Navigation systems.
Expansion of the radar center in Kraków. The new radar station was planned to be placed in the place of the previous one that had been in operation for 15 years. The advantage of choosing this location is the use of the existing technical building and the current location of the tower. The new radar meets high safety requirements; for example, indication accuracy of 25 ft. PLN 25 million was spent on a new radar station and additional modernization of the center. The investment completion date is the beginning of 2015. However, this date was questionable because the tender for its construction was investigated (in 2013) by the secret services and the prosecutor's office. The company that won the tender presented that it had experience in building such installations in China. The radar station was put into operation as planned.
The DVOR/DME radio beacon along with telecommunications infrastructure is another new investment. The contractor for the documentation and basic works was Przedsiębiorstwo Telekomunikacyjne TELBUD S.A. from Poznan. The investment value is PLN 3 million and the completion date is the end of 2012.
Modernization of NDB Bliższa Kraków is an investment consisting in the construction of a new power supply and telecommunications connection, as well as the modernization of the development and equipment of the NDB facility after obtaining the right to the area previously belonging to the Military Property Agency. The modernization cost is PLN 750,000 and the completion date is 2012.
2013 year.
On April 3, 2013, Irish Ryanair opened its second base in Poland at Balice Airport.
In 2013, the daughter company Airport Hotel started building a hotel next to a multi-storey car park. The hotel was named Hilton Garden Inn and welcomed its first guest on November 1, 2014. Once again, the road and pedestrian communication system will be modernized. A connector will be built at a height of approximately 10 m, between the terminal and the multi-storey car park.
Construction of a new section of the railway line and a stop located directly next to the terminal has also begun.
In 2013, Balice Airport served 3,648,000 passengers.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman