Rzeszów–Jasionka Airport

Rzeszów Ulma Airport^[3] (IATA: RZE, ICAO: EPRZ) is an international airport located in southeastern Poland, in Jasionka, a village ten kilometres (6.2 mi) from the center of the city of Rzeszów.

Rzeszów Ulma Airport Port Lotniczy Rzeszów-Jasionka im. Rodziny Ulmów
IATA: RZE ICAO: EPRZ
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Spółka Port Lotniczy "Rzeszów-Jasionka im. Rodziny Ulmów" sp. z o. o.
Serves	Rzeszów, Poland
Elevation AMSL	211 m / 690 ft
Coordinates	50°06′36″N 022°01′08″E
Website	rzeszowairport.pl
Map
Rzeszów Location of airport in Podkarpackie Voivodeship Show map of Subcarpathian Voivodeship Rzeszów Rzeszów (Poland) Show map of Poland
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 09/27 3,200 10,499 Concrete
Statistics (2024)
Passenger volume 1,145,257 Aircraft movements 20 947 (2023)
Sources: Rzeszów Ulma Airport[1] Polish AIP at EUROCONTROL[2]

History

Foundation and early years

Passenger domestic services to Rzeszów–Jasionka Airport began on 30 November 1945 with the opening of the circular domestic airline route number 1/2 Warszawa – Łódź –Kraków – Rzeszów – Lublin – Warszawa. The airport was re-built and opened for commercial traffic in 1949 after the first facilities built in 1940 were destroyed in 1944.^{[citation needed]}

In 1999, the Polish Air Force, which had a presence at Rzeszów–Jasionka Airport since its opening, permanently closed its Rzeszów–Jasionka air base as part of an agreement by the Polish Ministry of Defence.^{[citation needed]}

On 2 June 2007, LOT Polish Airlines commenced seasonal services to New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark's Newark Liberty International Airport. Service to JFK has since ceased operations. As of January 2008, the airport has had scheduled international flights to Dublin and London–Stansted, in addition to its domestic connection with Warsaw.^{[citation needed]}

Development since 2010

In 2009–10, it registered an 18.66% increase in passenger traffic serving 451,720 passengers in 2010.^[1] Coupled with the September 2006 start of construction on a new passenger terminal, this means that the airport is undergoing a rapid expansion, albeit in fits and starts, owing to delays in setting up the management company and obtaining financing and routes. The new passenger terminal opened in May 2012. As of 2014, Rzeszów Airport had been cited as an airport with below-forecast passenger numbers and an inefficient usage of EU subsidies.^[4] Rzeszow Jasionka Airport, however, underwent an ECA (European Court of Auditors) audit^[5] in 2014 and – among 20 other European airports – its marks were positive in terms of efficiency and legitimacy using EU funds on airports' modernisation.

During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the airport has been used as a trans-shipment hub for Ukraine's civil, NGO and government supporters to resupply Ukraine and its people with medical aid, weapons and supplies.^[6] Weapons and medical supplies are flown to the airport and then driven along the autostrada A4 to the Polish-Ukrainian border. On 9 March 2022, the United States deployed two MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile systems to the airport in what it called a "precautionary defensive move."^[7] On 5 March 2022, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in Rzeszów to meet with Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba in Ukraine. The President of the United States Joe Biden landed on Air Force One in Rzeszów twice, on 25 March 2022 to meet American troops, and on 19 February 2023, on the way to Kyiv. On 22 March 2023, William, Prince of Wales, landed in Rzeszów to meet British and Polish troops. On 24 March 2024 Polish President Andrzej Duda named the Airport after the Ulma Family, Polish citizens who were killed during World War II after Nazi Army discovered that they were helping Jews.^[3]

Facilities

Rzeszów–Jasionka Airport, situated 7.8 km (4+7⁄8 mi) north of Rzeszów, features the third-longest runway in Poland: 3,200 m × 45 m (10,500 ft × 150 ft). The airport is therefore capable of handling some of the world's largest aircraft, such as the Antonov An-124 and An-225,^[8] Boeing C-17 Globemaster III,^[9] Lockheed C-130 Hercules^[9] and the Boeing 747.^[10]

Airlines and destinations

The following airlines operate regular scheduled flights to and from Rzeszów:

Airlines	Destinations
LOT Polish Airlines[11]	Warsaw–Chopin[12] Seasonal: Gdańsk,[13] Newark[14]
Lufthansa	Munich[15]
Ryanair	Alicante,[16] Bristol,[17] Dublin,[17] Edinburgh (begins 27 October 2025),[18] London–Luton,[17] London–Stansted,[19] Malta,[20] Manchester,[17] Milan–Malpensa[21] Seasonal: Zadar[22]
Smartwings Poland	Seasonal charter: Bodrum[23]
Wizz Air	Milan–Malpensa,[24] Rome–Fiumicino[25]

Statistics

Apron view

Terminal interior

Annual passenger traffic at RZE airport. See Wikidata query.

Traffic by calendar year

	Passengers	Movements
2007	279 996	6 112
2008	323 838	9 662
2009	383 184	8 806
2010	454 203	10 919
2011	491 325	12 357
2012	564 992	12 355
2013	589 920	13 508
2014	601 070	10 656
2015	645 214	13 723
2016	664 068	12 629
2017	693 564	14 274
2018	771 287	18 164
2019	772 238	18 806
2020	235 190	12 918
2021	255 795	13 470
2022	731 141	14 876
2023	1 020 189	20 947
2024	1 145 257	21 408
Source: Jasionka w Rzeszowie

Ground transportation

Rail

On 3 October 2023 a new rail link between the airport and Rzeszów Główny railway station opened, operated by Podkarpacka Kolej Aglomeracyjna.^[26] The journey takes 18 minutes and a single ticket costs 4 PLN.

Bus

The airport also features scheduled bus services from MPK and MKS to Rzeszów city centre.

See also

• List of airports in Poland