Poznań–Ławica Airport

Poznań–Ławica Henryk Wieniawski Airport (IATA: POZ, ICAO: EPPO), built in 1913, is one of the oldest airports in Poland. It is located 5 km (3.1 mi) west^[2] of Poznań city centre. It takes its name from the neighborhood of Ławica, part of the city's Grunwald district, while the airport actually lies in the Jeżyce district.

Poznań–Ławica Henryk Wieniawski Airport Port Lotniczy Poznań–Ławica im. Henryka Wieniawskiego
IATA: POZ ICAO: EPPO
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Poznań Ławica Airport Ltd.
Serves	Poznań
Location	Poznań, Poland
Focus city for	Buzz (Ryanair)
Elevation AMSL	94 m / 308 ft
Coordinates	52°25′16″N 016°49′35″E
Website	poznanairport.pl
Map
Poznań Location of airport in Poland
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 10/28 2,504 8,215 Asphalt
Statistics (2023)
Number of passengers 2,789,962 Aircraft movements 34,966
Source: Polish Poznan Airport at Poznan Airport[1]

Synopsis

The northern section has been used as a military airport since its inception in 1913 as an Imperial German airbase until 23 December 2009.^[3] The southern section is used for civilian purposes. The prospect of relocating the airport elsewhere is often raised as a result of the flight path to the runway being located directly over the city.

The airport caters for international, domestic and cargo flights and general aviation. A new terminal was opened in 2012 and can handle up to 3.5 million passengers per year.^[4]

Confusion with Poznań–Krzesiny military airport

Poznań–Ławica airport has been confused by pilots with a nearby airbase, Poznań–Krzesiny Airbase (ICAO code: EPKS), which also has a 2,500 m (8,200 ft) runway. The runways are at approximately the same orientation: Ławica's is 11/29 (true heading: 108/288) and Krzesiny's is 12/30 (true heading: 117.9/297.9). The two runways lie in a nearly straight line, with Krzesiny coming up first on approaches from the east, the ones used most often. On the other hand, the Krzesiny airbase has two runways and lies southeast from the city centre, while Poznań–Ławica lies just west of it.

One notable incident involving confusion between Ławica and Krzesiny happened on 15 August 2006, when a Sky Airlines aircraft - a Boeing 737-800 running flight number SKY335 - mistook the runway at Krzesiny for the one being used in Ławica, landing at the military base by accident.^[5] The aircraft later took off on a repositioning flight to the correct airfield.

According to Krzysztof Krawcewicz, a pilot and the editor-in-chief of the Polish monthly Przegląd Lotniczy/Aviation Revue, this was at least the seventh mistaken aircraft that landed at the Poznań–Krzesiny airfield in 2006 alone. He faults, among others, the "scandalous procedures which are in use by the air traffic control at Poznań–Ławica" and the lack of radar use in controlling aircraft landing, which, although a radar system is present at Ławica, has been shut off, most likely due to the nearby military base.^[6]

Airlines and destinations

The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at Poznań–Ławica Airport:

Airlines	Destinations
Buzz	Seasonal charter: Tirana[7][better source needed]
Enter Air	Seasonal charter: Antalya,[8] Burgas, Corfu,[9] Enfidha,[8] Fuerteventura,[8] Girona,[9] Hurghada,[9] Varna,[8] Zanzibar[10]
European Air Charter	Seasonal charter: Burgas[citation needed]
flydubai	Dubai–International[11]
KLM[12]	Amsterdam[13]
LOT Polish Airlines[14]	Warsaw–Chopin
Lufthansa	Frankfurt, Munich
Pegasus Airlines[9]	Seasonal charter: Antalya
Ryanair[15][16]	Alicante, Beauvais, Bergamo, Billund, Birmingham, Bristol, Charleroi, Copenhagen,[17] Cork,[18] Dublin, Edinburgh, Kraków,[19] Leeds/Bradford, Liverpool, London–Stansted, Malaga,[20] Malta, Manchester,[21] Prague,[22] Rome–Ciampino,[23] Rome–Fiumicino,[24] Sandefjord, [25] Paphos, Stockholm–Arlanda, Tel Aviv,[26] Thessaloniki,[27] Treviso[28] Seasonal: Amman–Queen Alia,[29] Bari,[30] Burgas,[30] Cagliari,[31] Chania,[25] Corfu, Dubrovnik,[32] Girona, Lisbon,[33][34] Palermo,[35] Palma de Mallorca,[36] Pula,[37] Zadar
Scandinavian Airlines	Copenhagen
Smartwings	Seasonal charter: Bodrum,[38] Heraklion,[38] Izmir,[38] Tirana[39]
Wizz Air[40]	Kutaisi,[41] London–Luton, Rome–Fiumicino,[42] Seasonal: Tirana,[43] Verona[44]

Statistics

Check-in hall

Apron view

Annual passenger traffic at POZ airport. See Wikidata query.

Incidents and accidents

• On 10 June 1952, a Petlyakov Pe-2 bomber from the 21st Reconnaissance Regiment took off from Ławica air base for a training flight, but crashed shortly thereafter near the Warta river as a result of engine failure. The crash killed the bomber's crew: chorąży Zdzisław Lara (pilot), chorąży Stanisław Kuć (navigator) and corporal Józef Bednarek (rear gunner/radio operator), as well as six civilians on the ground. Due to the fact that the aircraft was made in the Soviet Union, the crash was covered up by the Communist authorities and the official reports put the blame on the pilot instead of equipment. In 2008, a monument was unveiled at the crash site.^[45]

Public ground transportation

Poznań transit (MPK Poznań) lines number 159 and 222 stop at the arrival area of the airport and provide a connection to Poznań Główny railway station. The trip takes approximately 20 minutes. There is also a bus stop for 148 nearby.^[46]

See also

• List of airports in Poland
• Air ambulances in Poland

References

1. "Statistics". Retrieved 2024-01-27.
2. "EAD Basic Login". Archived from the original on 2009-02-25. Retrieved 2022-02-06.
3. "Wojskowe tereny wokół lotniska przejął samorząd". Epoznan.pl. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
4. Emilia Derewienko, "Rekordowy lipiec na lotnisku w Poznaniu", Rynek Lotniczy, 14.08.2018
5. "Wyborcza.pl". Wiadomosci.gazeta.pl. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
6. "Wyborcza.pl". Miasta.gazeta.pl. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
7. "Bilety czarterowe - tanie bilety lotnicze | Biuro podróży TUI". www.tui.pl.
8. "Charter flights". tui.pl.
9. "Coral Travel". coraltravel.pl.
10. "Enter Air NW23 Zanzibar Charter Operations - AeroRoutes". Aeroroutes.com.
11. "Flydubai Plans Dubai – Poznan Service from late-Oct 2023".
12. "KLM adds fifth destination in Poland: Poznan". KLM Press Release. 13 August 2020.
13. "KLM NS24 European Service Changes – 21JAN24". Aeroroutes.
14. "Route map". lot.com.
15. "Book cheap flights using Fare Finder | Ryanair". www.ryanair.com.
16. "Ryanair NS23 Network Additions Summary – 26MAR23". Aeroroutes.
17. "Ryanair NS24 Network Additions Summary – 14JUL24".
18. "Welcome Home to Cork this Christmas - Ryanair to Restore Cork Airport Base and Twenty Routes".
19. Cybulak, Paweł (9 September 2022). "Pasazer.com: Ryanair: Zimą 24 kierunki z Poznania". Pasazer.com (in Polish). Retrieved 9 September 2022.
20. "Ryanair NS24 Network Additions Summary – 14JUL24".
21. "Ryanair announces 20 new Liverpool and Manchester routes". 21 July 2021.
22. "Ryanair přidá další linku z Prahy do Polska, začne létat do Poznaně". 4 December 2023.
23. "Ryanair".
24. "Ryanair".
25. "Ryanair".
26. "Ryanair NS24 Network Expansion Summary – 04FEB24". AeroRoutes. 7 February 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
27. "RYANAIR NS24 NETWORK ADDITIONS – 10DEC23".
28. "18 nowych tras Ryanaira. Na liście nowe loty z Polski!".
29. "Poznań: Od jesieni polecimy do Jordanii i Belgii! - TenPoznan.pl wiadomości i informacje". 13 August 2021.
30. "Nowe połączenia z lotniska Poznań-Ławica. Ryanair uruchamia dwa atrakcyjne kierunki!". 17 November 2022.
31. "Ryanair poleci z Poznania do Cagliari - Pasazer.com".
32. "EKSKLUZIVNO! Ryanair će Dubrovnik povezati sa 17 odredišta, prema Dublinu, Beču i Londonu će letjeti i zimi". 28 November 2023.
33. "Ryanair".
34. https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/230918-frnw23
35. "Mniej tras Ryanair z Modlina, więcej z Katowic i Poznania". 5 March 2024.
36. "Ryanair adds five new routes, increases airport presence (Updated) | Cyprus Mail". 21 November 2022.
37. "Ryanair to add new Pula service". croatianaviation.com. 15 April 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
38. "air and charter tickets". itaka.pl. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
39. "Smartwings Poland NS23 Charter Network Additions".
40. "WIZZ – Dream more. Live more. Be more".
41. "2023 წლის ივნისიდან Wizz Air ქუთაისის აეროპორტიდან 5 ახალი მიმართულებით იფრენს". 13 December 2022.
42. "Nowa trasa Wizz Aira z Polski! Będzie na niej rywalizować z Ryanairem".
43. "Wizz Air with new routes from Gdansk and Poznan to Albania". paszer. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
44. "Wizz Air uruchamia nowe połączenia z Polski do Werony i Malagi". 3 November 2022.
45. Semczuk, Przemysław Zatajone katastrofy PRL-u (Secret Disasters of Communist Poland), Ringier Axel Springer Polska, Warsaw 2011; chapter Kula ognia (Fireball), p. 13-21
46. "How to get to the city center?". Poznań Airport.

External links

Media related to Poznań-Ławica Airport at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website