The Civil Aviation Authority (ULC) has reported that Poland's airports have handled 23.2 million passengers during the first half of 2023. This figure signifies a substantial 40% increase

compared to the same period in 2022, reflecting the recovery of Poland's aviation sector from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as per the Polish state news agency, PAP.

Between January 1 and June 30, 2023, Polish airports managed 23.2 million passengers, representing a 40% surge compared to the first half of 2022. Additionally, it denotes a 4% increase over the same period in 2019, according to aviation officials.

Among these passengers, Warsaw's Chopin Airport serviced the largest number, accommodating 8.3 million travelers. This indicates a remarkable growth of 2.5 million passengers in comparison to the first six months of 2022, reported the ULC.

Kraków-Balice Airport, located in southern Poland, secured the second position by handling 4.4 million passengers during the first half of 2023. Gdańsk Airport, situated on the Baltic coast, was ranked third, having served 2.6 million passengers during the same period, according to the PAP news agency.

Of the 23.2 million passengers handled by Polish airports in H1 2023, 21.4 million were on international flights, demonstrating a robust 39.7% increase compared to the first half of 2022 and a 4.6% rise over the first half of 2019.

In contrast, 1.8 million passengers opted for domestic flights, which reflects a substantial 42.4% increase compared to the first half of 2022 and a modest 0.5% growth over the first six months of 2019, as reported by the ULC.

Throughout the period between January 1 and June 30, 2023, Polish airports managed 172,800 flight operations, indicating an 8% decrease in comparison to the first half of 2019 and a significant 19% rise over the same period in 2022, according to aviation officials.

Ryanair, the Irish airline, emerged as the leading carrier, serving 7.6 million passengers who used Polish airports in the first half of 2023. Poland's national airline, LOT, followed with 5.3 million passengers, and Hungary's Wizz Air came in third place, accommodating 4.7 million travelers, as reported by the PAP news agency. Photo by Adrian Grycuk, Wikimedia commons.