Katowice Airport in Poland has welcomed its first passengers at its newly expanded and reconstructed Terminal B facility.
Under the reconfiguration, the surface area of the building was increased by 40% from 12,200m2 (130,000ft2) to 17,200m2 (185,000ft2), and the façade of the terminal was moved slightly to the south so that it now connects with Terminal C.
Inside the building, local contractor Promus Ruda Śląska separated the check-in area from the security control area, which has now been moved to the first floor. This has enabled the airport to increase the number of check-in desks from 18 to 28.
Changes were also introduced in the departure hall of Terminal B, with new food and beverage outlets, retail stores, Fast Track services and a new business lounge. There are also six new boarding gates, taking the total to 16.
At the heart of the investment is a new baggage sorting system complete with CT scanners, enabling the airport to increase the throughput of Terminal B from two million passengers to four million annually. This has increased the overall capacity of the airport from six million to eight million passengers a year.
Artur Tomasik, president of the board of Górnośląskie Towarzystwo Lotnicze, the company managing Katowice Airport, said, “We carried out the expansion and reconstruction of passenger Terminal B largely during the very difficult time of the coronavirus pandemic, which contributed toward the biggest crisis in the history of aviation. However, we completed the project on time, and by doing so, we brought to an end another important investment, which is part of a complex plan of expanding Katowice Airport.
“Putting Terminal B into service does not mark the end of development projects at Katowice Airport. We keep thinking about the future and want to strengthen the airport’s position in various areas. That’s why we are consequently expanding the aircraft maintenance base.”