Port Lotniczy Szczecin-Goleniów im. NSZZ Solidarność is implementing two investment programs. The bigger of PLN 78 million will be financed in half with funds available under the EU measure “Infrastructure and Environment” of the Regional Operational Programme. It involves construction of a parallel taxiway, exit way, de-icing station and an apron. A runway overhaul will be the key stage to be completed in 2012.

“The taxiway was built in 1956 and it was last modernized in 1998. It was designed for Mig airplanes, while currently passenger aircraft weigh as much as 70-75 tons”, says Maciej Jarmusz, CEO of the Goleniów airport.

The second program of PLN 28 million (EU funds may account for even as much as 85% of that amount) involves equipment replacement. Over 30-year-old snowploughs will be replaced with modern vehicles. New fire engines will also be provided (the ones used at present were purchased 13-22 years ago). The project will also involve a purchase of an automatic explosive detection system. “A number of countries require that luggage be examined not only by people but also by such systems”, explains Jarmusz. The system, which is composed of an explosion chamber whose detonation will not harm anybody, allows to identify luggage that may contain hazardous substances. The airport authorities have already announced tenders and received some of the proposals.

However, the category II ILS runway lighting system, which allows planes to land in difficult weather conditions, has not been eligible for subsidies. At present, on more than 20 days a year there is a 20% probability that for weather reasons planes heading to Goleniów will have to land in Poznań or Berlin.

BBI – rather benefits than losses

In 2011, a huge airport – Berlin-Brandenburg International (BBI) – will be opened near Berlin where the Schoenefeld airport was located. We asked Maciej Jarmusz, CEO, whether the Brandenburg investment will affect the investment plans of Goleniów.

“We were visited by representatives of the BBI airport and discussed cooperation possibilities. We expect to take advantage of the opportunities Berlin is not interested in. We focus on low-cost connections, charter and domestic flights, which, I suppose, will not be interesting for the BBI airport, as its representatives confirm”, says Jarmusz.

It is forecasted that in 2009 over 306 thousand passengers will use the services of the Goleniów airport. The growth dynamics is 90 thousand passengers a year.

55555 Oslo

A conference dedicated to the investments was held on 7 July. On the same day, the airport welcomed the 55555th passenger (a woman passenger) of the Norwegian airlines on the Oslo-Goleniów-Oslo route. Agnieszka Bergen-Hansen, the jubilee passenger, was awarded with an Oslo-Goleniów-Oslo ticket by Jarosław Święcicki, CEO of Norwegian Polska and a four–day stay at the Binowo Park golf club by Sławomir Piński, club director, where she will have the opportunity to take golf lessons and play on the golf course.

SG