Kraków 2025-02-04
Balice Airport. 2025
The airport in Balice near Krakow is both a civilian and military airport. On the military side, it is complex No. 6007, where the 8th Transport Aviation Base, or Military Unit No. 1158, operates. CASA C-295M and PZL M-28 Bryza transport aircraft are based in Balice. This unit is part of the 3rd Transport Aviation Wing. Other military units also operate in Balice. The army is the main user of the Balice airport.
For ordinary travelers, the airport is known as Kraków Airport and is the second largest airport in Poland in terms of the number of passengers served and the largest regional airport in Poland. The deliberate action of the media and news services is to avoid providing information; John Paul II International Airport in Krakow. But the airport management remembers this and currently (January 2025), there is a photographic exhibition on the visits of Pope Saint John Paul II to Balice in the terminal. The owners of the airport are: the state-owned company Polskie Porty Lotnicze S.A. (76.19%), the local government of the Małopolska province (22.73%), the local government of Krakow (1.04%) and the local government of the Zabierzów commune (0.04%).
The airport covers an area of 310 hectares, of which 27.5 hectares are managed by the International Airport. Currently (2025), the airport has 128 connections to 31 countries. Connections are provided by 24 carriers. The airport is equipped with navigation systems; ILS, NDB and DVOR. In direction 25, an ALPA-ATA cat. II approach lighting system with a flashing light system is installed. The lighting in the 07 direction is a simplified system of approach lights of the IDMAN system. Unfortunately, dense fog sometimes causes landings and take-offs from the airport to be suspended. In January 2025, there were two such cases. Then, flights are redirected or delayed. But such situations occur at other airports, including abroad.
The current platform apron has an area of 90,000 square meters. 23 code C aircraft, i.e. the size of a Boeing B-737 and an Airbus A-320, can park on this apron. The Airport Rescue and Firefighting Service operates in accordance with ICAO standards and provides the VIII category of the airport in terms of operation at the airport.
In 2023, Balice Airport served 9,399,281 passengers. On November 23, 2024, Balice Airport, as the first regional airport in Poland, served 10 million passengers in one year. In October 2024 alone, 1,029,476 people used the airport. In January 2025, it was reported that Balice Airport served 11,080,830 passengers in the entire year 2024. Other information about Balice Airport can also be found in the previous chapters.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman