Is Krakow Airport Big. How big is it?

When arriving in Krakow, you may not notice it because the exit from the Krakow airport is usually unproblematic, so many people wonder whether Krakow airport is big. Is Krakow Airport a big airport? Are there long queues at Kraków Airport for security checks? How early do you have to arrive at Krakow Airport? We give you some important tips for flying out of Krakow.

Kraków Airport is successively ranked second on the list of airports in Poland. In the first quarter of 2024, it handled 2.2 million passengers which placed it behind Warsaw Chopin Airport. Does this mean that Kraków Airport is big?

How big is Krakow airport?

Polish airports compare in size poorly with those in Europe. Krakow Balice ranks distantly in the rankings of Europe’s largest airports in terms of both area and number of passengers served.

Krakow John Paul II International Airport in Balice is an airport with a single concrete runway measuring 2,600 x 60 metres. In terms of passenger numbers, it is not a large airport. In terms of actual size, it is a very small airport consisting of a small terminal building.

It is not far from the terminal entrance to the baggage reclaim area and then to the terminal exit. Alternatively, from the terminal building you can walk directly across to the other side via a covered walkway leading to the opposite building, where there is a multi-storey car park and access to the train station platform from which you can easily reach the centre of Krakow. If you choose to take the bus, the stops are located directly in front of the terminal building. There’s no McDonald’s at Krakow Airport.

The car parks at Krakow Airport are also not far from the terminal building itself. If you are standing in the internal airport car park, turn right and after a few hundred metres you are in the car park. In the vicinity of the airport building, already outside the airport premises, there are several private car parks which can be reached from the terminal in just a few minutes. Krakow airport is open 24 hours a day, but flights do not take place at night.

How much time before departure do I have to be at Kraków Airport?

The answer to this question is not simple as it depends on several factors. Firstly, whether it is a domestic flight, within the European Union or outside the European Union. The question of when to arrive at Krakow airport is also influenced by the time of day at which the flight takes place, as well as the month of travel. During the tourist season, crowds are larger, and in the low season, much smaller.

For international flights, it is normally recommended to arrive at the airport at least 2-3 hours before departure. During the holiday season or on days with heavy air traffic, such as before Christmas, it is worth considering arriving at Krakow Airport earlier, as queues for security control may be longer then.

For domestic flights like flights to Warsaw or Gdansk, 1.5 to 2 hours before departure is usually sufficient to really have plenty of time to spare. For flights within the European Union, 2 hours will usually be sufficient. For flights outside the Union, you can give yourself up to 3 hours.

An important stage of air travel is the security check. How long does it take to go through security control in Krakow? Normally, it can take from several minutes to half an hour to go through the security check. The time varies depending on the volume of traffic. We usually stand at the security check in the vicinity of 10-15 minutes for morning flights. This time can extend to as much as 30 minutes or, in extreme situations, up to an hour.

During periods with a higher number of travellers (for example during the holiday season), it is better to keep a larger time margin at Krakow Airport.

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