Poznań–Ławica Airport

Poznań–Ławica Henryk Wieniawski Airport Port Lotniczy Poznań–Ławica im. Henryka Wieniawskiego
IATA: POZ ICAO: EPPO
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Poznań Ławica Airport Ltd.
Serves	Poznań
Location	Poznań, Poland
Hub for	Enter Air Wizz Air
Elevation AMSL	94 m / 308 ft
Coordinates	52°25′16″N 016°49′35″E / 52.42111°N 16.82639°E / 52.42111; 16.82639
Website	airport-poznan.com.pl
Map
Poznań Location of airport in Poland
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 10/28 2,504 8,215 Asphalt
Statistics (2016)
Number of Passengers 1,611,074 Aircraft Movements 23,272
Source: Polish AIP at EUROCONTROL[1]

Poznań–Ławica Henryk Wieniawski Airport (IATA: POZ, ICAO: EPPO), built in 1913, is one of the oldest airports in Poland. It is located 5 km (3.1 mi) west^[1] of Poznań city centre. It takes its name from the neighborhood of Ławica, part of the city's Grunwald district while the airport actually lies in the Jeżyce district.

Synopsis

Check-in hall

The northern section has been used as a military airport since its inception in 1913 as an Imperial German airbase till 23 December 2009.^[2] The southern section is used for civilian purposes. The prospect of relocating the airport elsewhere is often raised as a result of the flight path to the runway being located directly over the city.

The airport caters for international, domestic and cargo flights and general aviation. A new terminal was opened in 2001 and can handle up to 1.5 million passengers per year.

Confusion with Poznań–Krzesiny military airport

Poznań–Ławica airport has been confused by pilots with a nearby airbase, Poznań–Krzesiny Airbase (ICAO code: EPKS), which also has a 2,500 m (8,200 ft) runway. The runways are at approximately the same orientation: Ławica's is 11/29 (true heading: 108/288) and Krzesiny's is 12/30 (true heading: 117.9/297.9). The two runways lie in a nearly straight line, with Krzesiny coming up first on approaches from the east, the ones used most often. On the other hand, the Krzesiny airbase has two runways and lies southeast from the city centre, while Poznań–Ławica lies just west of it.

On 15 August 2006, a Turkish charter flight from Antalya Airport, Antalya, Turkey to Poznań–Ławica — Sky Airlines SHY335 Boeing 737 — mistakenly landed at 19:50 local time at the Poznań–Krzesiny airfield.^[3]

According to Krzysztof Krawcewicz, a pilot and the editor-in-chief of the Polish monthly Przegląd Lotniczy/Aviation Revue, this was at least the seventh mistaken aircraft that landed at the Poznań–Krzesiny airfield in 2006 alone. He faults, among others, the "scandalous procedures which are in use by the air traffic control at Poznań–Ławica" and the lack of radar use in controlling aircraft landing, which exists, but has been turned off by the Polish Air Traffic Agency (Agencja Ruchu Lotniczego).^[4]

Airlines and destinations

Incidents and accidents

• On 10 June 1952, a Petlyakov Pe-2 bomber from the 21st Reconnaissance Regiment took off from Ławica air base for a training flight, but crashed shortly thereafter near the Warta river as a result of engine failure. The crash killed the bomber's crew: chorąży Zdzisław Lara (pilot), chorąży Stanisław Kuć (navigator) and corporal Józef Bednarek (rear gunner/radio operator), as well as six civilians on the ground. Due to the fact that the aircraft was made in the Soviet Union, the crash was covered up by the Communist authorities and the official reports put the blame on the pilot instead of equipment. In 2008, a monument was unveiled at the crash site.^[12]

Ground transportation

Poznań Transit Bus Number 59 stops at the arrivals area of the airport and connects the airport and Poznań Main Station. The trip takes approximately 20 minutes.

See also

• List of airports in Poland

References

External links

Media related to Poznań-Ławica Airport at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website