Chopin Airport bids farewell to the 2015 year with a milestone of 11.2 million passengers handled

During the 12 months of last year, Warsaw Chopin Airport has served more than 11.2 million people. There also is a record in a record as the previous limit of 10 million passengers handled in international traffic has been broken. As if it was not enough, December of 2015 was the 15th consecutive month, when Chopin Airport reported an increase in passenger numbers.

From the beginning of January 2015 the passenger traffic statistics at Chopin Airport have allowed for a more and more optimistic and confident prediction of beating the 11-million-people-within-one-calendar-year record. The historical borderline has been crossed and on December 29 the Chopin Airport CEO Michał Kaczmarzyk pompously greeted Barbara Borkała, the jubilee 11 111 111th passenger, who was traveling from Vienna to Warsaw.

This outstanding result is an effect of the extensive route network tailored to the needs of the passengers, comfortable and friendly terminal opened after a thorough reconstruction in May last year, diverse shopping and gastronomic offer, as well as an easy access to the port and flexible parking rates – says Michał Kaczmarzyk, director of the Warsaw Chopin Airport.

For 15 months now the number of passengers grows incessantly and there are indications that that this trend will continue in the coming years.

In the period of January-December 2015 at Chopin Airport 11 206,7 million people (5.8 per cent increase) were handled. The vast majority of passengers – 10 031 million (7.0 per cent increase) travelled in international traffic. 1 175.6 million (3.4 per cent decrease) travelled domestically.
In December of last year Warsaw Airport has served 724.2 thousand people, which is 1.6 percent more than in the previous year. It is the best December result ever. The number of passenger flight operations in this month amounted to 9.1 thousand. (-0.2 per cent).
In 2015 the number of passenger flight operations, including the operations of traditional and low-cost carriers, increased by 2.3 percent and totalled 124.7 thousand. In the international traffic 102.9 thousand (+3.7 percent) and in the domestic traffic 21.8 thousand (-3.8 per cent) passenger flight operations were carried out.

In 2015, the airport completed an investment program, the result of which was the reconstruction of the terminal. The new part of Terminal A, which was opened in May 2015, is more spacious than the previous building of the old “beetroot” terminal. The modernisation has increased the number of check-in and security control counters. The commercial zone has been increased.

After the reconstruction the airport reached a capacity of 25 million passengers per year. Over the next five years Chopin Airport plans further development, including enlarging the northern pier, which will enable the creation of new gates for long-haul airplanes.

In 2015 the airport has finished some of its investments. Among other things, a new PPS7 apron of nearly 10 hectares, with 6 spaces for large code E aircraft or 12 positions for medium-sized C code aircraft, was put into service. On the axis 33 of the main runway DS-3 modern LED navigation lamps have been installed, which replaced the halogen lamps, which saves on lighting exploitation. At the end of 2015 a so-called railway fuel front (a special railroad siding with the installation for unloading) construction has begun, which will make possible a change in the way the aviation fuel is supplied to the airport and full market opening for all the suppliers.

Chopin Airport is appreciated by our passengers. – In addition to the numerous compliments that we regularly get by e-mail and social media, passengers appreciated us as one of the top ten airports in Europe – emphasises Michał Kaczmarzyk. In a competition organised by Sleeping in Airports portal Warsaw airport has been recognised, among others for a friendly and helpful staff, excellent marking of the terminal and free and unlimited access to the Internet. As pointed out by the passengers from all over the world, in their opinions, an additional advantage is a big number of electrical sockets available for passengers, as well as 24/7 restaurants, bars and attractive playgrounds for children.

The network of air connections from Warsaw Chopin Airport for 2016 looks very attractive. 25 new routes have already been announced and other are planned. Together with the new scheduled routes, 83 destinations are foreseen at the routes schedule for the winter season, as well as dozens of connections operated in charter traffic. On at least 11 existing routes carriers will increase their offer. Among the confirmed intercontinental connections are certainly flights to Toronto and Tokyo.

Most new connections will be operated by LOT Polish Airlines, which announced an official opening of 18 new routes this year, as well as increasing of the flights frequency on some existing routes. The second largest carrier operating at Chopin Airport, Wizzair, has announced the enlargement of its fleet base in Warsaw by a sixth plane and the launch of four new routes. Most likely, in summer seasonal connection with resorts in Bulgaria, Greece and Italy will return to the Wizzair network.

“Such a dynamic development of the network of connections from Warsaw gives us hope that this year we can handle more than 12 million people. Within the next 2-3 years, we expect a traffic growth rates of 5-6 per cent. Ultimately, we will handle 25 million passengers a year, which is the capacity of our port” – says Michał Kaczmarzyk.