The construction of a new runway and related infrastructure at Katowice International Airport in southern Poland will help deal with a projected increase in passenger numbers. By 2020, the airport, which lies 30 km north of Katowice, will have to cater for around four million passengers every year, up from the current 1.6 million.
- 24 September 2014
Those benefiting from the construction scheme include all the carriers that use the airport, such as those providing standard, non-standard, scheduled and non-scheduled passenger transport services. Airlines providing courier and cargo services also benefit from the airport expansion.
The project includes the construction of a new runway, the upgrade of apron No1, and the reconstruction of taxi-ways E1, E2 and D. The work is expected to create 188 jobs during the implementation phase.
Wider value
Katowice is an international and regional airport, located in Pyrzowice (about 30 km north of the actual town of Katowice) in Silesia, which forms part of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). The EU has invested billions of euros to upgrade transport infrastructure across Europe so that passengers and goods can move more freely in and between the EU Member States.
Work to expand the airport came under the EU’s “Infrastructure and Environment” Operational Programme for Poland. Between 2007 and 2013 the Community invested about EUR 28 billion through the programme in order to improve the country’s technical infrastructure, including road, rail and air transport connections.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Katowice Airport – construction and upgrade of airport and port infrastructure” is EUR 67 349 864, of which the EU’s Cohesion Fund is contributing EUR 27 023 263 from the Operational Programme “Infrastructure and Environment” for the 2007 to 2013 programming period. Work falls under the priority “TEN-T Road and Air Transport Network”.