Airplanes taking off and landing are an increasingly common sight at the Gdańsk airport. However, it could take up to three years to get back to the pre-pandemic flight network and passenger numbers.
photo: Trojmiasto.pl
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Half more passengers were handled in August at the airport in Gdańsk, compared to July. The number of operations is also increasing starts and landings. – We are back to normal and to flying – says Tomasz Kloskowski, president of the Gdańsk Airport.
More than 154 thou. in July and until 233 thous. passengers in August used the airport in Gdańsk. As statistics show, air traffic is recovering from month to month, and there are days – such as in mid-August – when approx. 10 thousand passengers.
Out of 233 thousand most of them – 9,627 passengers – were recorded on August 16. On the other hand, the most popular destinations are invariably the United Kingdom – 63 thousand. passengers, Norway – 30 thousand and Germany – 23 thousand Air operations statistics have also increased. In August, they were over 20 percent. more than in July.
During summer holidays, the main traffic at the airport is generated by charter flights. The planes flew e.g. to Zakynthos, Heraklion, Majorca, Burgas and Turkish Antalya.
– However, trips to Rhodes were the most popular. Regular connections operated by LOT during the summer holidays were also very popular, with most travelers from Gdansk chose Rome. The planes of the national carrier also flew from Pomerania to Barcelona, Burgas, Corfu, Crete, Rhodes, Thessaloniki, Dubrovnik, Split, Zadar and Tirana – he lists Agnieszka Mikhailov, spokesman for the Gdańsk airport.
In three years, pre-pandemic results
As I forecast Tomasz Kloskowski, president of the Gdańsk Airport Lech Wałęsa, it will take about three years for traffic at all airports in the country to recover to pre-pandemic results. But only if the epidemiological situation stabilizes.
– This is great news that we are returning to normalcy and flying – is pleased Kloskowski. – In August, we had 80 thousand. passengers more than in July. It’s about 30 percent. more than we forecasted. People fly abroad to work, on vacations, and visit people they have not seen for many months. I am convinced that confidence in flying will grow. And if in the period from autumn to spring we calm the situation on the medical, economic, political and media fronts, then from next year all airports will start moving upwards and in three years we will achieve the results from before the pandemic.
Loss and loan from bank
As Kloskowski adds, despite the crisis in the entire aviation industry, the financial situation of the airport in Gdańsk is stable.
– There is no risk of bankruptcy, loss of financial liquidity or the need to dismiss employees. Before the pandemic, we planned about PLN 40 million in profit, and we will end the year with a loss of PLN 10 million. To implement the planned investments, the expansion of the passenger terminal and the construction of the Alpha office building, we have to borrow about PLN 100 million from the bank – he adds.
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