Prague Airport Will Increase its Capacity Up to 23 Million Travellers by 2035

By 2035, Prague Airport should increase its capacity up to 23 million passengers per year.

This year it handles 17.7 million people, which is a year-on-year increase of 5.8%, although it is already facing capacity problems. According to Václav Řehoř, Chairman of the Czech Aeroholding Board of Director, ten per cent of the arrivals at Terminal 1 had to be declined this summer. Passenger numbers are growing continuously since 2013.

The requirements to increase the airport capacity are the construction of a parallel runway, the centralization of security controls and building new boarding sections D and E. Section D should be built at Terminal 2 by 2029 and section E by 2036.

Along with completing the parallel runway, it will be necessary to shut down the existing secondary runway. After the launch of the new track in about eight years, it is expected that night operations at the airport will be cancelled. The runway will only be used for take-offs. Upon commissioning, the airport’s capacity will increase to 250,000 per year.

The Minister of Transport, Vladimír Kremlík (ANO) added that by 2028, an electrified double-track railway line should lead to the airport and Kladno. It is planned to build several elevated junctions on the Prague ring road and the roads leading to the airport.

The journey from the centre of Prague to Václav Havel Airport in Ruzyně should take 25 minutes along the planned railway line. From the railway for nearly 40 billion crowns, which will also lead to Kladno, only part of the Negrelli viaduct is being elaborated.

The adjustment of the monorail and non-electrified line to Kladno with an annexe to Prague Airport has been under construction for years. The new connection should allow a ten-minute interval of trains going to the airport and Kladno.