Updates: 09/16/2021 11:26 AM
Released: 16.09.2021, 11:26

Prague – According to estimates, Prague Airport should handle about four million passengers this year, and Prague Airport will probably end up in a loss of hundreds of millions of crowns. Resumption is slower so far than at some comparable airports in Europe. Nevertheless, the airport will continue to prepare a parallel runway, but will review some other projects. The new head of the airport, Jiří Pos, told the press today. This year’s operating situation will probably be similar to last year, when the airport handled 3.66 million passengers and ended up with an operating loss of 687 million crowns.

Airport operations continue to be hampered by coronavirus pandemics, especially in the first half of the year, when operations were well below normal. Traffic has been growing steadily in recent months, with almost 700,000 passengers handled in August, almost twice as many. In addition, according to Pose, the airport was in positive numbers for the first time this year in the summer. However, the airport also calculates that from October, traffic will fall again.

Compared to the European average, airport renewal is slower, with comparable airport operations growing in Vienna and Warsaw, for example. According to the head of the airport’s dependence, the problem is, for example, the pre-pandemic Prague airport on the arrivals of passengers from countries outside the EU, especially from Russia or the Middle East. Renewing routes from these destinations is still complicated.

Despite the changes in the airport management and the current crisis, it is still being considered with the preparation of a new parallel runway. The airport will therefore seek to extend the EIA permit and obtain a zoning procedure. According to Pose, the runway is important for the future development of the airport and also for improving safety and the environment at the airport. At the same time, however, it will review some other projects, such as the expansion of the second terminal or investments in construction on the land of the surrounding airport. According to Pose, the airport is more usable according to the development of the situation.

Pos also said that the airport is preparing operational management for three next year, according to which the company’s management will be governed. The crisis option envisages a continuation of the pandemic crisis and the handling of about three million passengers a year. According to the medium variant, the airport could handle around five million passengers next year and around 8.5 million passengers under the optimistic scenario. Pos is counting on the final compilation of the budget and financial plans for the beginning of next year.

Pos became the head of the largest domestic airport at the end of August, when he was elected chairman of the company’s board of directors. He replaced Václav Řehoř. Pos led the company from 2011 to 2014.

Vaclav Havel Prague Airport is the largest domestic airport. In 2019, before the covid crisis, it handled a record 17.8 million passengers. However, after the outbreak of the pandemic, the airport was hit by the air crisis and last year it fell by 79 percent of passengers. At the same time, the airport laid off about 600 employees during the year due to the crisis and weakened operations. Before the crisis, it had about 2,900 workers.

In addition to the airport itself, the Prague Airport group consists of subsidiaries Czech Airlines Handling and Czech Airlines Technics.

aviation Prague Airport Pos