Nearly 7.3 million passengers were handled by Katowice Wojciech Korfanty International Airport in Pyrzowice, almost one million more than in 2024. Airport representatives estimate that the 10-million-passenger annual threshold could be exceeded as early as 2030. A series of new investments—including a new main passenger terminal, additional gates, and expanded parking facilities—are expected to support this growth.
“2025 was the best year in the history of Katowice Airport. We achieved record results not only in passenger traffic but also in cargo operations. We served nearly 7.3 million passengers—almost a million more than the year before. This year we also recorded an all-time high of 46,000 tonnes of cargo,” said Artur Tomasik, President of the Upper Silesian Aviation Group (Górnośląskie Towarzystwo Lotnicze), the operator of Katowice Airport, in an interview with Newseria.
According to the company, on 9 December 2025, for the first time in the airport’s history, the number of passengers in a single calendar year exceeded 7 million. By comparison, the total for the entire previous year stood at 6.38 million.
“Poland is a green island on Europe’s aviation map. Traffic is growing at double-digit rates—something exceptional on a European scale, and similar trends can be seen across all regional airports in Poland. This year we are planning to reach 7.8 million passengers, about 500,000 more than last year, but quietly I believe we may exceed 8 million, breaking yet another barrier,” Tomasik emphasized.
According to the latest data from the Association of Regional Airports, during the first three quarters of 2025, 12 regional airports in Poland handled 32.6 million passengers, an increase of 11% year on year. The association’s authorities describe this as an excellent result, especially given that airports in Wrocław, Katowice, and Rzeszów were simultaneously carrying out major construction projects. After three quarters, Katowice Airport ranked second among regional airports, behind Kraków and ahead of Gdańsk.
“Airlines are constantly expanding their offerings. Last year we added several attractive new destinations, such as Porto, Agadir, and Colombia, which can be reached directly from Katowice. The network is increasingly enriched with long-haul routes, which makes me particularly happy. We fought for this for over a decade—to ensure that Pyrzowice, with its excellent infrastructure, could handle long-haul flights. And now it is happening,” said the airport’s president. “This year, we will again offer a strong portfolio of long-haul flights, including destinations such as Thailand, Vietnam, Cuba, Colombia, and Venezuela—although we will see how the latter performs given the situation in the country.”
As Tomasik added, charter traffic remains the main growth engine of Katowice Airport, accounting for half of total passenger traffic. In 2025, more than 3.7 million passengers used the charter network—16% more than the year before. The most popular destinations were Antalya, Marsa Alam, and Hurghada.
“From the passengers’ perspective, the key message is that we are continuously developing our infrastructure. This year we will conclude the tender for the construction of a new passenger terminal. It will be the most important investment in the airport’s history since the new runway was built in 2015—not only in terms of passenger comfort but, above all, in increasing capacity,” Tomasik explained. “Pyrzowice has always had ambitious plans, and we have implemented many investments in recent years. This continues today. Our investment program for 2024–2032 exceeds PLN 1.5 billion.”
The Upper Silesian Aviation Group is implementing Katowice Airport’s 2024–2032 investment program, with the construction of the main passenger terminal as one of its flagship projects. The new terminal will be built on the site currently occupied by Terminal A and the old air traffic control tower. The two-storey building will have a floor area of 49,000 square meters and will be connected to the railway station by a 270-meter pedestrian tunnel. Level +1 of the terminal will house security screening, passport control, the departures hall, and boarding gates.
“Once the new terminal is completed, we will have passenger boarding bridges capable of handling wide-body aircraft. This is important information, because after ten hours of flight—often landing at night—sleepy passengers will be able to walk directly into the terminal instead of being transported by bus or walking across the apron,” Tomasik noted. “We also want to create a large intermodal hub, possibly connected by tunnel, allowing passengers to reach the railway station without going outdoors. This will be the most significant change ahead of us.”
At the end of 2025, Katowice Airport signed a contract with Budimex to expand Terminal C under a design-and-build formula. As a result, the usable floor area will increase from 6,895 to 10,413 square meters. Border control capacity will also be expanded—from six traditional checkpoints to 16, including six staffed counters and 10 automated passport control gates. The expanded terminal will continue to be used even after the first phase of the main terminal is completed. The cost of the Terminal C expansion amounts to PLN 34.7 million, with completion planned for mid-2027.
“For the 2027 season, we will gain several thousand additional spaces, enabling us to handle passengers comfortably and without long queues,” Tomasik announced.
Another major investment challenge is the expansion of cargo infrastructure. This year, the company plans to announce a tender for the construction of a second cargo terminal in the airport’s south-eastern zone. Once the approximately 10,000-square-meter facility is operational, Katowice Airport’s annual cargo handling capacity will increase to around 75,000 tonnes.
“We have unique operational advantages, such as the ability to operate at night—something very rare in Europe. As the only airport in Poland without noise restrictions, we are particularly attractive for cargo and charter operations, which ‘like the night,’” Tomasik said. “We will also have two new parking facilities. This is important for passengers, as it ensures easy car access to the terminal, supported by environmentally friendly electric shuttle transport. Nearly 2,000 parking spaces will be opened this year in time for the summer season.”
As part of the investment program, 757 new parking spaces were opened at Parking P4 in June 2024. A second expansion phase is currently underway, with 500 additional spaces to be completed by the end of the second quarter of 2026. Since March 2025, passengers have also been able to use the new P5 surface parking lot, where 863 spaces were created in the first phase. In total, the airport now offers 6,700 parking spaces, with plans to double this number to 13,000 by 2030.
“A number of investments are also taking place behind the scenes. Next year, we will commission a modern fuel and cargo transshipment base connected to a railway siding. These projects are 50% co-financed by the European Union. This is a breakthrough investment for the airport, opening up new business opportunities,” Tomasik added. “We will also meet the increasingly strict aviation standards related to sustainable fuels. Access to such fuels will not be a problem in Pyrzowice. Our capital expenditure this year will reach nearly PLN 180 million. Last year, we closed with almost PLN 170 million in investments, making us the airport investing the most in infrastructure in Poland.”
