Świdnik 2015-01-20
Lublin Airport.
Geographic coordinates: 51.241N 22.714E.
Lublin Airport is the work of thrifty and hardworking people of Eastern Poland, which used to be the Central Republic of Poland. Successive governments of the Republic of Poland were not interested in supporting the initiatives of the Lublin region, and the Masonic Government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk in particular. Examples: Removal from road investments of the construction of a motorway connecting Warsaw with Lublin and further south-east. Withdrawal of financing for flood protection investments. And other.
That is why we admire the local community of the Lublin region that, in such unfavorable conditions, it led to the construction of the first civilian-commercial airport since 1974. (In 1974, the Rębiechowo Airport for the Tri-City was launched).
Lublin Airport won first place in the competition for Poland’s Favorite in the years 2000-2012, in the Life in Architecture plebiscite.
Airport project.
The airport in the target version was to be equipped with; runway (RWY) and taxiways, rapid exits, large platform apron, passenger terminal, cargo terminal. At the same time, it was not supposed to affect the WSK PZL company airport.
Efforts to achieve such an ambitious goal took years. When the community of the Lublin region made efforts to obtain further permits in 2007, they were told in Warsaw – “You don’t have to try. He won’t get a grant. And the Central Airport for Poland is to be built anyway, so your actions are unnecessary.”
It is worth mentioning at this point the proposal to build an airport for Lublin in Niedźwiada near Lubartów, and in fact from Lublin a few kilometers beyond Lubartów. A few words of subjective comment; This location was allegedly supported by a larger area and the possibility of expansion in the future. The rest are downsides. The distance to Lublin is over 35 km. Location away from main national roads. The nearby railway line is rarely used and intended for liquidation. It was a proposal to destroy the grassroots initiative, the construction of the Lublin Airport.
After many years of efforts to build an airport for Lublin in Świdnik, on December 21, 2007, the President of the Civil Aviation Office of the Republic of Poland, Grzegorz Kruszyński, signed a promise of permission to create a communication airport. In March 2008, the company Port Lotniczy Lublin SA purchased the first real estate in the commune of Wólka for the construction of a regional civil airport. In May 2008, a competition was announced for the architectural and urban concept of the planned airport.
On June 4, 2008, the European Commission agreed to allocate PLN 296.6 million from public funds for the construction of the Lublin-Świdnik airport. In addition to EU funds for regional development, funds from local government funds were provided for the construction of the Lublin-Świdnik airport. The airport’s own contribution amounted to 24% of the total investment costs. Whereas the state has allocated; in 2009 – PLN 12 million, in 2010 – PLN 15 million, in 2011 – PLN 10 million.
The purposefulness of the project, according to the British company ASM, which prepared the air traffic forecast for Świdnik, was as follows; 0.5 million passengers in the first year, approximately 1 million passengers in 2016, and 2.4 million in 2035. About 200 people were to find work in the port at the beginning of its existence. That is why the Lublin Board of Education opened new courses related to air traffic management in vocational schools. One of the classes in I Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Władysław Broniewski in Świdnik, preparing young people for the profession of a flight attendant.
Ecological problems. – As in the case of Modlin Airport, also in the case of Świdnik Airport, nature defenders of various colors, but always painted green, entered the action. Those who know best what threatens nature. Who treat flies and roots better than their own wives and mothers. (To this day we do not know; Who is funding this circus?). And of course, they found out that the airport, existing since 1939, poses a threat to spotted ground squirrels. They calculated that several thousand of these individuals live on the area of 100 hectares of grassy field of ascents. More than cow dung during grazing season. Fortunately, the local authorities made a deal with this circus. A front institution has been established, the Foundation for the Protection of the Pearl Gopher, which constantly monitors the condition of the ground squirrel colony. In addition, a fence was erected so that they would not be threatened by cats and dogs from nearby houses. And we waited, when in the Republic of Poland, the family will have more rights than those painted green.
Airport design – As a result of the competition held in 2008, it was decided that the Lublin-Świdnik airport will be built according to the design of the Polish-Spanish consortium Sener-ARE-Polconsult.
SENER Ingeniería y Sistemas, S.A. is a company operating in the field of engineering and construction for over 50 years. Innovation, highest quality and independence are his most important corporate values. Founded in Spain, it is now an international reference in the following areas: Civil Engineering, Architecture, Aerospace Technology, Aeronautics and Vehicles, Launching and Control Systems, Energy and Processes, Marine Technology. The company employs over 2,500 specialists and has 14 offices.
ARE is a Polish company. He designs residential buildings, public buildings, interiors and industrial architecture. It employs 12 architects (designers and assistants). Documentation is created on 14 Autocad, Architectural Desktop and 4 Archicad stations. He works with designers of all industries from many renowned design companies in Warsaw. The main designers of the company are architects; architect Jakub Wacławek and architect Grzegorz Stiasny. The ARE company developed the architectural side of the project.
Polconsult, a company that has participated in the design of each expanded airport in Poland. In Świdnik, she designed the airport apron and the runway.
In 2009, the Spanish company Sener prepared detailed documentation according to which the terminal was built. The Spaniards got 11 million 610 thousand. PLN for the project, and an additional PLN 1,290,000. PLN was allocated for author’s supervision.
On August 25, 2008, the competition jury announced its decision regarding the design of the airport. The court appreciated the project for the efficient connection of potential passengers by means of a railbus with the port buildings. According to the design, the large white airport hall with skylights in the roof was to resemble an electronic alarm clock, and inside the terminal there were to be nine economy class check-in counters, three for business class and a separate VIP area. You can increase the number of check-in points at any time. There will be three conveyor belts in the arrivals hall for handing over baggage. The departure hall can be divided by a movable glass wall, which will separate Schengen citizens from the rest of the passengers. It was planned that the entire hall would be 160 m long. A mezzanine with a cafe and a restaurant was to be built on the first floor – the place would also be a vantage point overlooking the airport apron and the main hall. In the basement, warehouses, technical rooms and devices for issuing and transporting luggage will be built.
In 2011, it was finally decided to reduce the terminal of the Lublin airport from 24,000 m2 to 11,000 m2. That is by 55%. The reduction of the buildings was caused by the withdrawal of PLL LOT and Euro LOT from possible operations from this airport in the coming years (?). Probably the authorities in Warsaw counted on the collapse of the enterprise. It should be remembered that each new commercial airport picks up passengers from Okęcie Airport. And one more rhetorical question – It is profitable for foreigners to fly from/to Lublin, and not for Polish carriers?
The investment covered an area of 300 ha.
It must be remembered that the airport itself is not everything. Passengers must be able to reach it. A new railroad for the railbus to the terminal itself is one thing. The second is the system of access roads. Around the airport there will be four roundabouts, overpasses over railway tracks and viaducts over ul. Polish Airmen in Świdnik. According to the plan, ul. Żwirki i Wigury is to have four lanes, and easy access to the S-17 Warsaw – Hrebenne expressway will be provided from each street.
Construction of the airport.
The investment occupied a part of the town of Świdnik Duży, in the area of Mełgiweska Street. Dozens of properties have been purchased. This is where the western part of the ascent field was created. In turn, in the eastern part of the take-off field, the tree stand had to be felled. In November 2008, the demolition of buildings on the site of the future civil airport began. This work was completed in March 2009. In their place was a runway. In order to build the runway, 15 houses had to be demolished and the forest over 100 hectares had to be cleared. Military graves located in the war cemetery also had to be moved from the area of the future airport. Soldiers who died during the First and Second World Wars and mainly Polish soldiers who died in the Defensive War of 1939 rested on it. The bodies of Polish, Austrian and Soviet soldiers were buried at the municipal cemetery in Świdnik.
On February 13, 2009, the Marshal’s Office in Lublin received a decision from the minister authorizing the cutting of 142 hectares of the so-called hospital forest around the future airport. The company Port Lotniczy Lublin would have to pay about PLN 100 million for this, but only after the land deforestation procedures would be completed. Thanks to the provisions in the airport special act, you do not have to pay for the cut-out. Of the land obtained in this way, 118 hectares are intended for the runway and airport infrastructure buildings, while access roads will be built on 23 hectares.
On 20.03. In 2009, another 125 ha of land located in Świdnik was contributed by the Lublin City Hall to the Lublin Airport company. The value of the land amounted to PLN 33 million, which means that the city acquired over 70 percent of the shares in the project. The transferred plots have been bought by the local government of Lublin in recent years from the Pekao bank and private owners – a field of ascents will be created on them, and part of the land will probably end up in the hands of the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency.
On October 18, 2010, Genowefa Tokarska, the governor of Lublin, signed a permit for the construction of the Airport, with the rigor of immediate feasibility, confirming at the same time that the investment will be completed in spring 2012. This document officially approved the construction project, subdivided the property, allowed full logging of the forest and enabled the physical commencement of construction of the airport. Krzysztof Grabczuk, the marshal of the voivodeship, also confirmed the earlier settlement of the first 4 construction tenders. The environmental decision allowed for the commencement of full construction works in October 2010.
In the autumn of 2010, construction could start, which within two years led to the launch on December 17, 2012 of the first regular air connections with several cities in Europe.
The construction of the Lublin Airport officially began on November 10, 2010. In the first days of construction, bulldozers leveled the area of the so-called motorcycle hills. At the same time, tree felling and land leveling were carried out.
The construction works and tenders proceeded smoothly, so already in October 2011, the platform apron (aircraft parking) was completed. In the same month, the tender for the construction of the terminal was won by Budimex. According to the arrangements, he was to bet in nine months, and the company will receive nearly PLN 67 million for the work. As part of these works, the building of the airport fire brigade and the technical building were also built. Budimex started work in October 2011.
Opening of the airport. 2012.
On December 1, 2012, an open day was held at the airport. According to estimates, the airport was visited by about 20,000 people. The total construction cost was estimated at PLN 400 million.
On December 17, 2012, the official opening of the Airport took place. The opening ceremony was attended only by the Minister of Transport, Construction and Maritime Economy Sławomir Nowak. Where were the highest authorities of the Republic, I will pass over in silence. However, from the Lublin region, there was no one missing. Starting from local government authorities, the police, and ending with representatives of the Roman Catholic Church.
The first plane with passengers landed on December 17, 2012 (Monday), at 09:00. It was a charter flight with guests invited by the authorities of the Lublin Airport. On December 17, 2012, the first passenger plane landed at the Lublin Airport. Polish charter carrier Enter Air and Boeing B 737-400 aircraft. On December 17, 2012, at 1:25 p.m., the first scheduled flight with passengers landed. It was a Boeing B 737-800 of the Irish airline Ryanair. The plane arrived from Stansted Airport near London. The plane with new passengers left for the UK at 14:05. On that day, Ryanair launched two connections from Lublin; to London and Dublin. On December 17, 2012, the Boeing B 737-800 of the Irish airline Ryanair on its first commercial flight. Wizz Air, a low-cost airline operating in Central and Eastern Europe, since December 18, 2012. (Tuesday) started flights from Lublin Airport to London (Luton) and Oslo (Sandefjord Torp). The carrier’s first flight from London Luton Airport to Lublin (flight number W6 2066, aircraft A 320) landed at 12:05 and started the next tour. The second flight on the same day to Oslo Sandefjord Torp took place in the afternoon. On the first day of operation at the Lublin airport, Wizz Air carried over 550 passengers.
The first plane to land at the airport was the transport An-26 of the airline company EXIN Sp. z o. o. from Lublin. Already in the first week, the airport served 4,000 passengers, which was an excellent result. The result is even better when we look at the number of people employed in the port. Seat utilization in aircraft reached 90%. From March 2013, Ryanair will also launch a connection to Liverpool. In addition, the first charters to Egypt are planned for February 2013. In the spring of 2013, the entry of two more air carriers is planned. In 2013, the airport could handle 300,000 – 500,000 passengers.
Data of the Lublin-Świdnik Airport.
IATA code: LUZ, ICAO code: EPLB. It is located on the south-eastern side of the grassy Świdnik airport, operated by the PZL Świdnik plant and the aero club. From 13.12. 2012 Lublin Airport is visible on Flightradar24. The area of the airport is about 250 hectares.
The joint stock company Lublin Airport is currently (2010) made up of four shareholders. It consists of the local governments of the cities of Lublin (60.1955% of shares) and Świdnik (5.5440%), Lubelskie Voivodship (34.2513%) and Świdnik County (0.0093%).
The airport was created from scratch. A modern runway with accompanying infrastructure was built, a platform apron (4 stands for class B 737, A 320 aircraft), a hazard elimination station, a passenger service terminal, road infrastructure with car parks, a fire brigade building, a technical building and an aviation fuel station. A new Jana III Sobieskiego Street, connected to the existing road infrastructure, was built in order to enable efficient access to the airport’s customers. Other streets have also been modernized and rebuilt, e.g. the course of Mełgiewska Street was changed. In addition, a new electrified railway line no. 581 from Świdnik Miasto to the terminal itself. According to the plan, the route is to be served by EN57AL electric multiple units belonging to the Lubelskie Voivodeship. It takes 15 minutes by train from the center of Lublin to the airport.
Lublin-Świdnik Airport is the 13th airport in Poland. Up to 1.1 million passengers can use it annually. The new terminal has 11,000 sq. square meters, and RWY is 2,520 m x 60 m. At the same time, 4 medium-sized passenger planes can be checked in.
Built-up area: 1,500,000 m². Usable area: 11,465 m². Volume: 85,670 m³. Project: period 2008 – 2012. Implementation: 2012. navigational aids; ILS (the investment cost about PLN 3 million, launched in 2013). D-VOR/DME radio beacon set. Central runway lights.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman