Prague Airport braces for record number of passengers this year with innovative solutions
Prague’s Václav Havel Airport expects a significant increase in traffic this year. It should handle a record 18 million passengers and surpass the last pre-peak year in 2019.
According to representatives of Václav Havel Airport, Prague needs to prepare for the record number of passengers by strengthening its staff and capacity to handle passengers. Airport spokesperson Denisa Hejtmánková explained one of the expected innovations of Prague Airport to Czech Radio:
"The technology behind the new X-ray machines, called CT X-rays, means that you no longer have to remove electronics or liquids from your hand luggage. You can leave them inside and send your entire bag directly through the X-ray machine."
However, limits on the amount of fluids remain for the time being. Six CT scanners will be in Terminal 2 by the start of the summer season, and all will be new by the following summer.
The airport is also expanding self-service check-in kiosks, for example. Together with the increase in staff, the airport is preparing for a record year, says Jiří Pos, chairman of Prague Airport's board of directors.
"We expect to surpass the record year of 2019, which means accommodating more than 18 million passengers," he says.
More aircraft will carry passengers on established routes and there will be new services to nine new destinations.
"Abu Dhabi will be a brand-new destination and connections to Toronto are being restored. Zagreb and Vilnius are intriguing European destinations," he adds.
Due to insufficient capacity at some other European airports, passengers will probably have to reckon with possible delays this year as well, says Jan Klas, director of air traffic control:
"We will be strongly affected by the situation in our neighboring countries. Unfortunately, we are surrounded by countries that contribute to delays, with Germany and Hungary being the biggest culprits."
From the end of March, the airport will divert planes to a secondary runway for more than four months to repair the main runway. Residents of Kladno and the adjacent Prague districts will have to deal with more noise.
A special hotline is now available for residents of the affected areas. According to the chairman of the board of directors, Jiří Pos, Prague Airport is still trying to attract LOT Polish Airlines, from which it promises to make Prague a terminal airport again after many years.
"None of the carriers at Prague Airport handle transfers, but LOT Polish Airlines are accustomed to it. Allocating partial capacity at Prague Airport could help us regain some potential transfer passengers," Pos says.
The airport management has proposed allocating part of the capacity to the carrier for specific routes and is now awaiting a response.
