Rzeszów Ulma Airport[3] (IATA: RZE, ICAO: EPRZ) is an international airport located in southeastern Poland, in Jasionka, a village ten kilometres (6.2 mi) from the center of the city of Rzeszów. Not to be confused with the much smaller Rzeszów (EPRJ) airport used by Rzeszów University of Technology and Rzeszów Aeroclub, it is the eighth-busiest airport in Poland.
Rzeszów Ulma Airport Port Lotniczy Rzeszów-Jasionka im. Rodziny Ulmów | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Operator | Spółka Port Lotniczy "Rzeszów-Jasionka im. Rodziny Ulmów" sp. z o. o. | ||||||||||
| Serves | Rzeszów, Poland, Lviv, Ukraine (temporarily due to the Russian invasion in Ukraine) | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 211 m / 690 ft | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 50°06′36″N 022°01′08″E / 50.11000°N 22.01889°E | ||||||||||
| Website | rzeszowairport.pl | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  Rzeszów Location of airport in Podkarpackie Voivodeship  Rzeszów Rzeszów (Poland) | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (2023) | |||||||||||
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History edit
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.[1] 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[when?] 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 edit
Rzeszów–Jasionka Airport, situated 7.8 km (4+7⁄8 mi) north of Rzeszów, features the third-longest runway in Poland: 3,200 m × 45 m (10,500 ft × 150 ft). 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 edit
The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights to and from Rzeszów:
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| LOT Polish Airlines[13] | Warsaw–Chopin Seasonal: Gdańsk,[14] Milan–Malpensa, Newark[15] |
| Lufthansa | Munich |
| Ryanair | Alicante,[16] Bristol, Dublin, East Midlands, London–Luton, London–Stansted, Manchester Seasonal: Zadar |
| Wizz Air | Rome–Fiumicino[17] |
Statistics edit
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
| Passengers | Movements | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 279 996 | 6 112 | |
| 2008 | 323 838 | 9 662 | |
| 2009 | 383 184 | 8 806 | |
| 2010 | 454 203 | 10 919 | |
| 2011 | 491 325 | 12 357 | |
| 2012 | 564 992 | 12 355 | |
| 2013 | 589 920 | 13 508 | |
| 2014 | 601 070 | 10 656 | |
| 2015 | 645 214 | 13 723 | |
| 2016 | 664 068 | 12 629 | |
| 2017 | 693 564 | 14 274 | |
| 2018 | 771 287 | 18 164 | |
| 2019 | 772 238 | 18 806 | |
| 2020 | 235 190 | 12 918 | |
| 2021 | 255 795 | 13 470 | |
| 2022 | 731 141 | 14 876 | |
| 2023 | 1 020 189 | 20 947 | |
| Source: Jasionka w Rzeszowie | |||
Ground transportation edit
Rail edit
On 3rd October 2023 a new rail link between the airport and Rzeszów Główny railway station opened, operated by Podkarpacka Kolej Aglomeracyjna.[18] The journey takes 18 minutes and a single ticket costs 3.70 PLN.
Bus edit
The airport also features scheduled bus services from MPK and MKS to Rzeszów city centre.
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b "Statystyki ruchu". Archived from the original on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- ^ "EUROCONTROL". Retrieved 3 August 2009.
- ^ "Ulma Airport. Lotnisku w Jasionce nadano imię Rodziny Ulmów" (in Polish). 25 March 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ Lowe, Christian (14 December 2014). "Special Report: EU funds help Poland build 'ghost' airports". Reuters.com. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- ^ "Special Report EU-funded airport infrastructures: poor value for money" (PDF). Eca.europa.eu. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
- ^ Youssef, Matthew Luxmoore, Drew Hinshaw and Nancy A. (8 March 2022). "NATO Members Mount Huge Operation to Resupply Ukrainian Fighters". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Vice President Harris says Patriot anti-missile systems shifted from Germany are now on the ground in Poland". MarketWatch. Associated Press. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
- ^ "Ulma Airport. Lotnisku w Jasionce nadano imię Rodziny Ulmów" (in Polish). 25 March 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ https://nowiny24.pl/historyczna-chwila-w-jasionce-pod-rzeszowem-an225-mriya-i-an124-ruslan-jednoczesnie-na-plycie-lotniska-zdjecia/ar/c3-15969455
- ^ 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
- ^ 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
- ^ "Joe Biden w Rzeszowie. Zjadł pizzę z amerykańskimi żołnierzami, a potem spotkał się z prezydentem Dudą". 25 March 2022.
- ^ "Route map". lot.com.
- ^ "Pasazer.com: Latem znów polecimy z Rzeszowa do Gdańska". Pasazer.com.
- ^ "LOT Polish Airlines suspends 2 Trans-Atlantic routes in W19". Routes.
- ^ "Boeingi Ryanaira polecą z Rzeszowa do Alicante".
- ^ "Nowa trasa Wizz Air z Polski. Rzeszów zyskał loty do Rzymu!".
- ^ "Rzeszow airport rail link opened". 3 October 2023.
External links edit
Media related to Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website (in English and Polish)
- [1]
