Number of connections offered by Katowice International Airport will increase from 63 to 75 in 2012. Górnośląskie Towarzystwo Lotnicze SA (GTL), which manages the airport, estimates that number of handled passengers will grow from 2,5 to 2,7 million this year.
The growth will be possible thanks to new regular flights (32 destinations, five more than in was in 2011) and charter flights (43, in 2011 it was 36 destinations).
One of new regular routes is to be opened by Scandinavian airline SAS which will inaugurate its operations from Katowice Airport with a flight on the Copenhagen–Katowice–Copenhagen route on 26th of March 2012. Flights to Denmark’s capital will take place four times a week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and will be operated by a Bombardier CRJ 200 (50-seater) or 900 (88-seater) aircraft.
This way, SAS will join five following airlines – PLL LOT, Ryanair, Wizz Air, Lufthansa and OLT Jetair – offering regular flights from the airport. Additionally, new charter connections are planned to e.g. Spain, Italy and Cyprus.
In 2011, the total number of travelers reached 2 544 124, which represented a rise of 5,8% compared to 2010. There were 1 703 188 regular passengers (a rise of 0,6% in comparison to 2011), and 815 711 charter passengers (a boost of 17,4%).
GTL expects a further growth of the passengers number and implements extension investments to attract new carriers. Wizz Air and LOT already have operational bases at the airport as well as the charter airlines of Small Planet and Enter Air. Also DHL, FedEx, UPS and TNT, international courier companies, chose Katowice to set up its bases there.
Read about the infrastructure investments at the airport. >>>
source: PAP