Górnośląskie Towarzystwo Lotnicze SA (GTL SA) – the company that manages the Katowice Airport in Pyrzowice – has summed up the record passenger transport in 2023.
In December 2023 Katowice Airport handled 311,735 passengers, 57,845 more (+22.8%) compared to the same period a year earlier. This was the best twelfth month in the port’s history – the previous record came in 2019, when 278,849 travelers were recorded on December flights to and from Katowice Airport.
Along with December came the end of 2023, which was the best calendar year in Katowice Airport’s history. During it, a total of 5,609,022 passengers were handled at Katowice Airport, 1,189,931 more (+26.9%) than in the twelve months of 2022, and 765,133 more (+15.8%) than in the previously record-breaking year of 2019, during which a total of 4,843,889 travelers were recorded. It is noteworthy that on Friday, November 3, 2023, Katowice Airport surpassed the mark of 5 million passengers served during the calendar year for the first time in the port’s history.
Last year, the daily and monthly records for the number of travelers served were also broken. The new daily record was 29,426 passengers, recorded on July 16, 2023. The best monthly result, on the other hand, fell in August 2023, when 776,000 travelers were served.
During the twelve months of 2023, Wizz Air, Ryanair, PLL LOT and Air Dolomiti (the carrier operates flights on behalf of German airline Lufthansa) served 2,954,350 passengers on Katowice’s scheduled network, 553,853 more (+23.1%) than in 2022 and 140,567 more (+5.0%) than in 2019. Scheduled flights to the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain and Norway were the most popular. Passengers most often traveled on such flights from Katowice Airport to Dortmund, London-Luton, London-Stansted, Eindhoven and Frankfurt.
From January to the end of December 2023, 2,634,524 passengers were served at Katowice Airport in charter traffic, i.e. traffic carried out on behalf of travel agencies. This is 634,405 better (+31.7%) than that recorded at the same time in 2022, it is also 628,198 more (+31.3%) than in 2019. Last year, nearly 47% of all travelers on the Katowice route network opted for vacation flights. The most frequent vacation flights were to Turkey, Egypt, Greece, Tunisia and Spain. Charter flights connecting Katowice airport with Antalya, Hurghada, Marsa Alam, Rhodes and Heraklion were the most popular.
From January till the end of December last year, 45,167 aircraft takeoffs and landings were recorded – 5,044 more (+12.6%) than a year earlier and 3,561 more (+8.6%) than in 2019.
–The passenger traffic in the past year was better than we expected. Exceeding the limit of five million passengers in a calendar year for the first time in the port’s history is another milestone in the development of Katowice Airport. We expect the growing trend to continue in the years to come. In 2024, we should handle about six million travelers, and already in 2028 we will approach the level of up to eight million passengers. With growing traffic comes the need to develop the port’s infrastructure. Therefore, we have prepared a large investment program, which we will implement between 2024 and 2028, its key point is the construction of a main passenger terminal with an area of 50 thousand square meters. The facility will be equipped with sleeves and connected by a tunnel to the railroad station – says Artur Tomasik, CEO of Górnośląskie Towarzystwo Lotnicze SA, the company managing Katowice airport.
KATOWICE AIRPORT IN NUMBERS
Katowice airport is among the largest regional airports in Poland. The forecast for 2024 is to serve more than 6 million travelers, which will be the best result in Katowice Airport’s history. Katowice Airport is a national leader in the charter traffic segment and one of the largest cargo airports in Poland.
Górnośląskie Towarzystwo Lotnicze SA is among the Member Companies of the CCI in Katowice.