Rzeszów–Jasionka Airport Explained

Nativename:Port Lotniczy Rzeszów-Jasionka im. Rodziny Ulmów
Elevation-M:211
Metric-Elev:yes
Coordinates:50.11°N 22.0189°W
Pushpin Label:Rzeszów
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
R1-Length-F:10,499
R1-Surface:Concrete
Metric-Rwy:yes
Rzeszów Ulma Airport
Image2-Width:250
Iata:RZE
Icao:EPRZ
Pushpin Map:Poland Podkarpackie Voivodeship#Poland
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of airport in Podkarpackie Voivodeship
Type:Public
Operator:Spółka Port Lotniczy "Rzeszów-Jasionka im. Rodziny Ulmów" sp. z o. o.
City-Served:Rzeszów, Poland, Lviv, Ukraine (temporarily due to the Russian invasion in Ukraine)
Elevation-F:690
Website:rzeszowairport.pl
R1-Number:09/27
R1-Length-M:3,200
Stat-Year:2023
Stat1-Header:Passenger volume
Stat1-Data:1,02 mln
Stat2-Header:Aircraft movements
Stat2-Data:20 947
Footnotes:Sources: Rzeszów Ulma Airport[1]
Polish AIP at EUROCONTROL[2]

Rzeszów Ulma Airport[3] is an international airport located in southeastern Poland, in Jasionka, a village 10km (10miles) from the center of the city of Rzeszów. Not to be confused with the much smaller used by Rzeszów University of Technology and Rzeszów Aeroclub, it is the eighth-busiest airport in Poland.

History

Passenger domestic services to Rzeszów–Jasionka Airport began on 30 November 1945 with the opening of the circular domestic airline route number 1/2 Warszawa – Łódź –Kraków – Rzeszów – Lublin – Warszawa. The airport was re-built and opened for commercial traffic in 1949 after the first facilities built in 1940 were destroyed in 1944.

In 1999, the Polish Air Force, which had a presence at Rzeszów–Jasionka Airport since its opening, permanently closed its Rzeszów–Jasionka air base as part of an agreement by the Polish Ministry of Defence.

On 2 June 2007, LOT Polish Airlines commenced seasonal services to New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark's Newark Liberty International Airport. Service to JFK has since ceased operations.

As of January 2008, the airport has had scheduled international flights to Dublin and London–Stansted, in addition to its domestic connection with Warsaw.

In 2009–10, it registered an 18.66% increase in passenger traffic serving 451,720 passengers in 2010. Coupled with the September 2006 start of construction on a new passenger terminal, this means that the airport is undergoing a rapid expansion, albeit in fits and starts, owing to delays in setting up the management company and obtaining financing and routes. The new passenger terminal opened in May 2012. Rzeszów Airport has been cited as an airport with below-forecast passenger numbers and an inefficient usage of EU subsidies.[4] Rzeszow Jasionka Airport, however, underwent an ECA (European Court of Auditors) audit[5] in 2014 and – among 20 other European airports – its marks were positive in terms of efficiency and legitimacy using EU funds on airports' modernization.

During the 2022 Russia-Ukraine war, the airport has been used as a trans-shipment hub for Ukraine's civil, NGO and government supporters to resupply Ukraine and its people with medical aid, weapons and supplies.[6] Weapons and medical supplies are flown to the airport and then driven across the Polish-Ukrainian border in trucks. On 9 March 2022, the United States deployed two MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile systems to the airport in what it called a "precautionary defensive move."[7] On 5 March 2022, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in Rzeszów to meet with Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba in Ukraine. The President of the United States Joe Biden landed on Air Force One in Rzeszów twice, on 25 March 2022 to meet American troops, and on 19 February 2023, on the way to Kyiv. On 22 March 2023, William, Prince of Wales, landed in Rzeszów to meet British and Polish troops. On 24 March 2024 Polish President Andrzej Duda named the Airport after the Ulma Family, Polish citizens who were killed during World War II after Nazi Army discovered that they were helping Jews.[8]

Facilities

Rzeszów–Jasionka Airport, situated 7.8frac=8NaNfrac=8 north of Rzeszów, features the third-longest runway in Poland: 3200x. The airport is therefore capable of handling some of the world's largest aircraft, such as the Antonov An-124 and An-225,[9] Boeing C-17 Globemaster III,[10] Lockheed C-130 Hercules[11] and the Boeing 747.[12]

Airlines and destinations

The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights to and from Rzeszów:

Statistics

Traffic by calendar year
Passengers Movements
2007279 996 6 112
2008323 838 9 662
2009383 184 8 806
2010454 203 10 919
2011491 325 12 357
2012564 992 12 355
2013589 920 13 508
2014601 070 10 656
2015645 214 13 723
2016 664 068 12 629
2017693 564 14 274
2018771 287 18 164
2019772 238 18 806
2020235 190 12 918
2021255 795 13 470
2022731 141 14 876
20231 020 189 20 947
Source: Jasionka w Rzeszowie

Ground transportation

Rail

On 3rd October 2023 a new rail link between the airport and Rzeszów Główny railway station opened, operated by Podkarpacka Kolej Aglomeracyjna.[13] The journey takes 18 minutes and a single ticket costs 3.70 PLN.

Bus

The airport also features scheduled bus services from MPK and MKS to Rzeszów city centre.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Statystyki ruchu . 2018-08-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160325232133/http://www.rzeszowairport.pl/statystyki/operacje_lotnicze/35/0/statystyki_ruchu.html . 2016-03-25 . dead .
  2. Web site: EUROCONTROL . 2009-08-03 .
  3. Web site: 2024-03-25 . Ulma Airport. Lotnisku w Jasionce nadano imię Rodziny Ulmów . 2024-03-28 . pl-PL.
  4. News: Special Report: EU funds help Poland build 'ghost' airports. Christian. Lowe. Reuters.com. 14 December 2014. 14 August 2018.
  5. Web site: Special Report EU-funded airport infrastructures: poor value for money. Eca.europa.eu. 14 August 2018.
  6. News: Youssef . Matthew Luxmoore, Drew Hinshaw and Nancy A. . 2022-03-08 . NATO Members Mount Huge Operation to Resupply Ukrainian Fighters . en-US . Wall Street Journal . 2022-03-08 . 0099-9660.
  7. Web site: Associated Press . Vice President Harris says Patriot anti-missile systems shifted from Germany are now on the ground in Poland . 2022-03-11 . MarketWatch . EN-US.
  8. Web site: 2024-03-25 . Ulma Airport. Lotnisku w Jasionce nadano imię Rodziny Ulmów . 2024-03-28 . pl-PL.
  9. https://nowiny24.pl/historyczna-chwila-w-jasionce-pod-rzeszowem-an225-mriya-i-an124-ruslan-jednoczesnie-na-plycie-lotniska-zdjecia/ar/c3-15969455
  10. https://nowiny24.pl/na-lotnisko-w-jasionce-dotarl-w-sobote-9-samolot-z-ekipa-ktora-ma-przygotowac-niedzielny-przylot-olbrzymiej-grupy-amerykanskich/ar/c3-16033393
  11. https://nowiny24.pl/na-lotnisko-w-jasionce-dotarl-w-sobote-9-samolot-z-ekipa-ktora-ma-przygotowac-niedzielny-przylot-olbrzymiej-grupy-amerykanskich/ar/c3-16033393
  12. Web site: Joe Biden w Rzeszowie. Zjadł pizzę z amerykańskimi żołnierzami, a potem spotkał się z prezydentem Dudą . 25 March 2022 .
  13. Web site: Rzeszow airport rail link opened . 3 October 2023 .