Košice International Airport

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Košice International Airport

Medzinárodné letisko Košice
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorLetisko Košice - Airport Košice, a.s.
ServesKošice, Slovakia
LocationBarca
Elevation AMSL755 ft / 230 m
Coordinates48°39′47″N 021°14′28″E / 48.66306°N 21.24111°E / 48.66306; 21.24111
Websiteairportkosice.sk
Map
KSC is located in Slovakia
KSC
KSC
Location of airport in Slovakia
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
01/19 3,100 10,171 Asphalt
Statistics (2023)
Passengers625,053
Passenger change 22-23Increase15.1%
Aircraft movements4,398
Movement change 22-23Increase13.0%
Source: Vienna Airport [2]

Košice International Airport (Slovak: Medzinárodné letisko Košice) (IATA: KSC, ICAO: LZKZ) is an international airport serving Košice, Slovakia. It is the second largest international airport in Slovakia. It is located 6 km (3.7 mi) to the south of St Elisabeth Cathedral, 230 m (750 ft) above sea level, covering an area of 3.50 km2 (1.35 sq mi). It serves both scheduled and charter, domestic and international flights. Airport capacity is 800,000 passengers a year as of 2012.[3]

Košice Airport operates 6 direct flights to the following destinations - Prague (Ryanair), Warsaw - Fryderyk Chopin Airport (LOT Polish Airlines), Vienna (Austrian Airlines), London - to London Luton Airport (Wizz Air) and London-Stansted Airport (Ryanair), Liverpool (Ryanair). More than 300 destinations are available with a maximum of one change.[4]

On September 13, 2023, the airport announced the arrival of the new airline Swiss International Air Lines, which will operate a direct route from Košice to Zurich starting from June 2024.

During the summer flight schedule of 2024, the Irish low-cost airline Ryanair will fly from Košice to the Croatian city of Zadar twice a week. Additionally, a direct route to Dublin will also be resumed from the summer flight schedule of 2024.

History[edit]

Construction of the airport began in 1950s near the suburb of Barca. In 1954, construction began on the first part of the new passenger terminal, hangar and new control tower. In 1955, direct flights began between Košice and Prague. The power supply was enhanced by more powerful transformers in 1962. Increasing traffic required a larger passenger terminal by the mid 1960s. The foundation of the SNP Air Force Academy in 1973 strengthened aviation in the then republic of Czechoslovakia. Between 1974 and 1977, the runway was increased by 1,100 m (3,600 ft), the power supply rebuilt and a lighting system installed to meet CAT II ICAO specifications. Military aviation at the airport stopped in 2004.

Another extensive reconstruction of the runways and equipment area took place in 1992-1993. In 2001, the construction of a new terminal began, which was opened in 2004 and in 2005 was awarded the title Construction of the Year 2005. In 2004, the business company Letisko Košice - Airport Kosice, a.s. was established, in which a strategic partner joined in 2006. In 2007, the handling area was expanded, which increased the number of stands.

After the completion of the new terminal, the airport was privatized; currently the largest share (66%) of business in the airport is KSC Holding, a. s., whose majority shareholder is Vienna-Schwechat Airport, and the remaining share (34%) is owned by the Slovak Republic.[5]

Airport charges[edit]

Košice Airport has charges comparable to nearby airports in Vienna, Prague and Budapest. The airport is trying to attract new carriers and fly out new routes from Košice. Carriers who want to introduce new lines are designated Growth Incentive Scheme, which reduces their fees.

Terminals[edit]

The total area of Terminal 1 is 4,456 m2 (47,960 sq ft), of which more than 3,500 m2 (38,000 sq ft) is designed for the travelling public. Facilities include international and domestic departure and domestic gates, aviation and travel agencies, a nursery, a quiet room, and comfortable business lounge. There are also restaurants, car rental booths and small shops.

Airlines and destinations[edit]

The following airlines operate scheduled services to and from Košice Airport:[6][7]

AirlinesDestinations
Air Cairo Seasonal charter: Marsa Matruh
Austrian Airlines Vienna
Bulgaria Air Seasonal charter: Burgas
Corendon Airlines Seasonal charter: Antalya[8]
FlyEgypt Seasonal charter: Hurghada[9]
Freebird Airlines Seasonal charter: Antalya
LOT Polish Airlines Warsaw–Chopin
Ryanair[10] Liverpool, London–Stansted, Prague
Seasonal: Dublin,[11] Zadar (begins 2 June 2024)[12]
SkyAlps Seasonal charter: Brač[13]
Smartwings[14] Seasonal: Burgas, Heraklion, Larnaca, Palma de Mallorca (resumes 5 June 2024), Rhodes
Seasonal charter: Antalya, Hurghada, İzmir (begins 6 June 2024),[15] Monastir, Tirana (begins 3 June 2024), Zakynthos (begins 6 June 2024)[16]
Swiss International Air Lines Zurich [17]
Tailwind Airlines Seasonal charter: Antalya
Wizz Air London–Luton

Statistics[edit]

Year Passengers Change Cargo (tonnes)
2012 235,754
2013 237,165 +0.6%
2014 356,750 +50.4%
2015 410,400 +15.0%
2016 436,696 +6.4% 88
2017 496,708 +13.7% 106
2018 542,026[18] +9.1% 65
2019 558,064[19] +3.0% 38
2020 96,428[20] -82.6% 5
2021 168 742[21] +73,3 %
2022 542 864[2] +222.1 %
2023 625 053 +15.1 %

Routes to and from Košice Airport (2023)

City Airport Weekly departures Airlines
Vienna Vienna International Airport 11 Austrian Airlines
London London-Luton 5 Wizz Air
Warsaw Warsaw Chopin Airport 6 LOT Polish Airlines
London London - Stansted 5 Ryanair
Prague Václav Havel Airport 4 Ryanair
Liverpool John Lennon Airport 2 Ryanair
Busiest charter routes to and from Košice Airport (summer 2023)[22]
Destionation Number of passengers Airlines
Turkey Antalya 77 483
Cyprus Larnaca 24 920
Egypt Hurghada 18 941

Ground Transport[edit]

Košice Airport can easily be accessed by car, taxi or bus as it is located 6 km (3.7 mi) from the city centre.

Bus[edit]

Bus 23 is operated by the local public transport company. It connects the airport and the station square, where you can find a bus and train station. The bus route passes through the city center and it takes about 20 minutes.[23]

Car[edit]

The airport lies directly adjacent to the highway which leads to the ring road. Passengers driving their own cars can park at the airport parking lots. You have a choice of 3 parking lots: short-term parking P1, long-term parking P2, long-term parking P3 for parking during longer journeys, the minimum parking time there is 8 hours. Your car will be monitored by a camera system throughout the parking period.  Car rental facilities are also available at the airport.[24]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Košice - Slovakia". world-airport-codes.com. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "FLUGHAFEN WIEN AG REPORTS 23.7 MILLION PASSENGERS AT VIENNA AIRPORT IN 2022, MORE THAN DOUBLE THE PREVIOUS YEAR AND ALREADY 75% OF RECORD PASSENGER TRAFFIC RECORDED IN 2019". Vienna Airport Press Office. January 19, 2023. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  3. ^ "Technical information - Airport Košice". Košice International Airport. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  4. ^ "Letový poriadok | Letisko Košice". www.airportkosice.sk. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  5. ^ "Košice International Airport | O SPOLOČNOSTI". 2006-10-05. Archived from the original on October 5, 2006. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  6. ^ airportkosice.sk - Route map retrieved April 9, 2022
  7. ^ "Letový poriadok". airportkosice.sk. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  8. ^ "Corendon Airlines". Čedok.sk. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  9. ^ "flyEgypt Destinations". flyEgypt. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  10. ^ "Official Ryanair website". ryanair.com. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  11. ^ "Ryanair cuts 17 routes and 19 aircraft from Dublin Airport over 45% increase in airport costs". 21 September 2023.
  12. ^ "Ryanair to launch new routes from Zadar and Banja Luka". 3 December 2023.
  13. ^ "EKSKLUZIVNO-NAJAVE: SkyAlps pokreće Košice-Brač – zamaaero".
  14. ^ "Official Smartwings website". Smartwings.com. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  15. ^ "Smartwings NS24 Network Additions – 07JAN24".
  16. ^ "Smartwings NS24 Network Additions – 07JAN24".
  17. ^ "Spoločnosť Swiss od marca 2024 spojí leteckou linkou Košice a Zürich". 13 September 2023.
  18. ^ "Letisko Košice bilancuje mimoriadne úspešný rok 2018". Košice International Airport. January 14, 2019.
  19. ^ "Rok 2019 bol pre letisko Košice druhým najúspešnejším v histórii". Košice International Airport. Retrieved January 20, 2020.
  20. ^ "VACCINATION DRIVE AND TESTING STRATEGY SHOULD ENABLE HEALTHY TRAVEL FOR EVERYONE IN 2021 – VIENNA AIRPORT EXPECTS RECOVERY OF FLIGHT TRAFFIC NO LATER THAN IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR" (Press release). Vienna International Airport. January 21, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  21. ^ "Rok 2021 na letisku Košice | Letisko Košice". www.airportkosice.sk. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  22. ^ "Letisko Košice v lete prilákalo vyše 40 921 dovolenkárov | Letisko Košice". www.airportkosice.sk. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  23. ^ "Mestská hromadná doprava | Letisko Košice". www.airportkosice.sk. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  24. ^ "Parkovanie na letisku | Letisko Košice". www.airportkosice.sk. Retrieved October 13, 2021.

External links[edit]