The investment is carried out with the subsidies provided by the Cohesion Fund as part of the EU Infrastructure and Environment Programme. The overall cost of the investment is 100 million PLN, half of which is furnished by EU resources.
"The investment is of strategic importance to the Wroclaw Airport development. The sheer scale of the project, which is carried out in the airport's operational facilities, is akin to that of a construction and launch of a new terminal.
Passengers' comfort
The runway overhaul is carried out at night on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. No traffic is scheduled at the airport at the time.
We have planned the overhaul well in advance, already in winter, and we have negotiated our timetable with that of the carriers. Our goal was to cause no disruption to passenger traffic. We strive to minimise any inconvenience this may cause to passengers," says Jarosław Wróblewski.
The overhaul is carried out in stages. The crew need five hours to modernise ca. 60 metres of the runway. According to the project's contractor Strabag, this part of the work should come to a close in November 2015 while the entire investment in April 2016.
The runway and lighting system overhaul is carried out in compliance with the latest requirements from the International Civil Aviation Organisation. The cost of the job is estimated at about 50 million PLN.
Future benefits
The runway and lighting system overhaul is the last and most important as well as most complicated and most expensive stage of the project which has been carried out since 2013. The investment is necessary for the airport to meet the requirements to obtain the second ILS category and to improve its navigation standards. This means that planes will be able to take off and land in Wroclaw even when there is limited visibility.
"The upgrade to the second ILS navigation category and the implementation of new landing and take-off procedures in challenging weather conditions is scheduled for 2017. However, with new timetables, our passengers should enjoy first benefits already this winter season," says Jarosław Wróblewski.
Another important investment brings a new technical base at the old terminal's non-Schengen section. This means a new place will be provided to park and service winter maintenance equipment for all the entities at the airport. Two brand new gangways for passengers are going to be provided, together with full equipment and power, control and airport docking systems. They should be provided by October 2015. Currently, the airport has two such gangways and it is also the first Polish regional airport to offer such facilities.
