Record breaking first half of 2011 at Gdańsk Lech Walesa Airport

The first half of this year was another record period in terms of the number of passengers served. The results show that during the first six months of 2011 the number of passengers was higher by 10% than in the record-breaking first half of 2010, marking a new record in the history of Gdańsk Lech Walesa Airport. The number of operations increased by 2% and the mass of cargo handled by 18%.

In Q1-Q2 2011, Gdańsk Lech Walesa Airport served 1,113,329 passengers (the increase vs. the same period of 2010 by 10.4%). This high number of passengers resulted both from the new airlines launched on the Pomeranian market (FINNCOMM with flights to Helsinki and AIR BALTIC flying to Riga) and the higher intensity of traffic in most directions.
All carriers operating from Gdańsk served more passengers than in the first half of 2010. Lufthansa had 53% more passengers, Norwegian 15 %, Wizzair 12 %, LOT 9 %, Ryanair 3 % and SAS 2%.
The average load factor in scheduled planes departing from Gdańsk in the first 6 months of 2011 was at 76.3%. Traditionally, the most popular were the destinations in the UK and Ireland. Out of ten first cities, 9 are from this part of Europe.
The volume of cargo shipping keeps increasing annually. In the first six months of 2011, Gdańsk Lech Walesa Airport served 18% more cargo than in the same period last year (2.4 thousand tonnes in the first half of 2011).
The growing turnover enabled to generate the net profit in the Q1-Q2 higher by 17% than in Q1-Q2 last year, totalling at PLN 6.7 million. The good financial results of the Company allow financing the investment process and sponsoring regional sport. Gdańsk Lech Walesa Airport is one of the main sponsors of the male basketball team of Trefl Sopot, male volleyball team of Trefl Gdańsk, Wybrzeże Speedway Club and the rugby team, Ogniwo Sopot.
Moreover, the first half of 2011 saw the consistent implementation of the long-term investment programme for PLN 400 million. In Q1-Q2, the amount of PLN 60 million was spent on the construction of the passenger terminal, the apron, the taxiway, the storm water drainage system, the deicing station, the technical basis, the patrol-technical ways, office buildings and other.

At present, 13 investment projects are being executed at the same time at the Airport and its area resembles a large construction site.

‘The fantastic development of Gdańsk Lech Walesa Airport is not a mirage, it is a reality,’ says President of the Management Board of the Airport. ‘The traffic results keep growing dynamically, airlines are opening new connections and increase the frequency of existing ones, profits of the Company keep rising and new investment projects spring up like mushrooms. What more could we expect?’