IMPACT OF URBAN TRANSPORT SYSTEMS ON THE ATTRACTIVENESS OF POLISH AIRPORTS

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1 TRANSBALTICA 20 The 7 th International Conference May 56, 20, Vilnius, Lithuania Selected papers ISSN print / ISSN online ISBN Vilnius Gediminas Technical University Transport Engineering Faculty, J. Basanavičiaus g. 28, LT-03224, Vilnius, Lithuania IMPACT OF URBAN TRANSPORT SYSTEMS ON THE ATTRACTIVENESS OF POLISH AIRPORTS Katarzyna Hebel, Dariusz Tłoczyński 2 University of Gdańsk, Poland, Sopot Armii Krajowej 9/2; k.hebel@zkmgdynia.pl 2 University of Gdańsk, Poland, Sopot Armii Krajowej 9/2; dariusz.tloczynski@ug.gda.pl Abstract. As airports compete with one another for passengers, those with poorer accessibility, disconnected from the rest of the urban transport system of the city, are far less attractive for passengers than airports well connected with the transport system of the city of their location. Enterprises in the aviation business understand this and in order to make their offer more attractive and their services more easily available, they are beginning to cooperate with the relevant local authorities. An airport is defined as a place where passengers, cargoes and aircraft are handled, while in geographical terms it is an element providing a junction between air transportation and the settlement network. The function of the airport largely depends on its geographic location and position vis-a-vis the urban centre that can supply the passengers. From the passenger's point of view, it is most important how the system of passenger transfer between the airport and the city correlates with the number and pattern of departures and arrivals. A more detailed determination of factors making airports attractive to passengers is the subject of market studies. In the market studies conducted in Poland, the attractiveness of airports to passengers is determined by prioritising passenger requirements Keywords: air transport, airports, rail links, urban system. Introduction As airports compete with one another for passengers, those with poorer accessibility, disconnected from the rest of the urban transport system of the city, are far less attractive for passengers than airports well connected with the transport system of the city of their location (Dydkowski 2009). Enterprises in the aviation business understand this and in order to make their offer more attractive and their services more easily available, they are beginning to cooperate with the relevant local authorities. In this paper an analysis of the impact of urban transport system on the attractiveness of Polish airports in airports was conducted. Studies were conducted as primary researches. It included all Polish airports in the number of. The study was conducted in November 200. Data from the material inside the airports are supplemented by information from websites, which allowed for the presentation of these data in tabular and comparative analysis. 2. What makes an airport attractive An airport is defined as a place where passengers, cargoes and aircraft are handled, while in geographical terms it is an element providing a junction between air transportation and the settlement network. The function of the airport largely depends on its geographic location and position vis-a-vis the urban centre that can supply the passengers (Doganis 2002; Graham 2008). From the passenger s point of view, it is most important how the system of passenger transfer between the airport and the city correlates with the number and pattern of departures and arrivals. A more detailed determination of factors making airports attractive to passengers is the subject of market studies. In the market studies conducted in Poland, the attractiveness of airports to passengers is determined by prioritising passenger requirements. For passengers travelling between an international airport and the city centre, the most important requirements are easy access and comfort (37 %), easy access (27 %) and travelling time (22 %) as well as the fare to be paid (4 %). For rail passengers, the crucial selection criterion is the travelling time (47 %) and the fare to be paid (34 %) (Porty lotnicze 2006). By EU standards, an airport is considered accessible if it can be reached in up to 90 minutes. For Polish airports, this ceiling is raised to 2 hours, in view of the capacity of the existing roads and the frequency of rail service (Czyczuła 2007). Table shows average travelling times to airports from respective city centres. The way of getting to the airport is strictly connected with the nature of the air trip and the social status of the passenger. In Europe, passengers using low-cost and charter carriers as well as making economy class tourist flights with traditional airlines most typically get to the airport by public transport. In Poland, it is one passenger in ten that arrives at the airport by bus or by train (Efektywność transportu 200). 226

2 K. Hebel, D. Tłoczyński / TRANSBALTICA 20 Table. Average travelling time between the city centre and the airport Distance [km] Average travelling time (min) By train By bus Bydgoszcz () Gdańsk from Gdańsk from Gdynia from from Bytom from Mierzęcice Cracow Łódź Poznań Rzeszów Szczecin 40.5 ** Warsaw Wrocław Zielona Góra * no allowance for congestion has been made ** no bus link provided () passengers have to change once city centre here means the railway station Source: prepared by the authors on the basis of: mapa.pf.pl and the websites of public transport providers and the airports 3. Impact of bus systems on the attractiveness of Polish airports In Poland, the most typical connection between the airport and the city centre is by bus, however transfer to the airport organised by the carriers themselves is becoming a thing of the past. If the local authority wants to have air connections, they have to organise and fund urban transport services between the city centre and the airport. Therefore, all cities with an international airport do operate bus links. In some cities, the offer is enriched by private operators (e.g., in Cracow), or even ones hired by hotels (e.g. in Warsaw). Table 2 shows the number of bus services between the city centre and the airport. Warsaw, Łódź and Poznań have three, each. If we bear in mind the special character of the industrial region of Upper Silesia (GOP), which is composed of a number of municipalities, we may say that airport has four bus services to the centre, albeit of different cities of the conurbation. Similarly, there are two bus services from Gdańsk airport, but to two different destinations: Gdańsk and Gdynia. In Cracow, there are two bus services to the airport, but the main connection between the city centre and the airport is by rail. Other cities have one service each connecting them with the airport. Table 2. Number of bus services to the airport as at November 2009* Number of bus services Day services Weekdays Saturday Sunday Warsaw Cracow from from Bytom from Mierzęcice Gdańsk: from Gdańsk from Gdynia Wrocław Poznań Łódź Bydgoszcz Rzeszów Zielona Góra * Szczecin is missing from the table as it has no bus link with the airport. Source: prepared by the authors on the basis of the websites:

3 K. Hebel, D. Tłoczyński / TRANSBALTICA 20 Table 3. Frequency of bus service between the airport and the city centre as at November 2009* Frequency of bus services Weekdays Saturday Warsaw 020 min 020 min Cracow 30 from from Bytom from Mierzęcice Gdańsk: from Gdańsk from Gdynia 60min 2030 min (5 trips daily) 60min 30 (5 trips daily) Wrocław 2030 min 40 min Poznań 2030 min 530 min Łódź 2030 min 2030 min Bydgoszcz 30 min 30 min Rzeszów (7 trips daily) (5 trips daily) Zielona Góra 2 trips daily 2 trips daily * Szczecin is missing from the table as it has no bus link with the airport. Source: prepared by the authors on the basis of the websites: Table 3 studies the time pattern of departures to the airport. In most cities this is uneven, as the services are adjusted to flight arrivals and departures rather than coordinated with each other. A characteristic of bus services is the same frequency throughout the week (weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays). Figures in Table 4 indicate that fares between the airport and the city centre are generally reasonable, although there are costly connections, too (from airport to Mierzęcice 20 PLN). One of the characteristics of all the bus services to the airport is that tickets can be bought from the driver as well as at a variety of outlets in the city and at the airport. We may, therefore, say that ticket availability is very good. In some of the cities, season tickets are also valid on bus routes to the airport. This is especially vital for airport personnel, who generate much of the demand for the service. The growing demand for public passenger transport to the airports is also a result of the limited parking space at and around the airports. This makes both tourists and airport personnel increasingly willing to use public transport to get to and from the airport. It should be noted that the airport in Zielona Góra, deprived of a bus link with the centre, is in decline as an international airport. Table 4. Ticket availability and fares for services between the airport and the city centre as at November 2009* Single (and period) ticket availability Full single fare for the whole Validity of season From the From outlets across the route tickets driver city and at the airport Warsaw 4.20 PLN Cracow 3.00 PLN (3.50 if bought from the driver) from from Bytom from Mierzęcice 20 PLN 4.00 PLN 4.00 PLN Gdańsk: from Gdańsk from Gdynia 2.50 PLN 3.50 PLN (day ticket) (day ticket) Wrocław 2.80 PLN Poznań 4.00 PLN Łódź 3.60 PLN Bydgoszcz 2.60 PLN Rzeszów 8.00 PLN Zielona Góra 5.50 PLN * Szczecin is missing from the table as it has no bus link with the airport. Source: prepared by the authors on the basis of the websites:

4 K. Hebel, D. Tłoczyński / TRANSBALTICA 20 Public bus services are advantageously priced for tourists. The quality of the bus service is seen by passengers also from the point of view of the vehicles operated. All vehicles used on routes to the airport are low-floor buses. Their quality is very high by Polish standards (Transport miejski 2008). 4. Impact of rail transport systems on the attractiveness of Polish airports The key factors in choosing a track mode of transport between airports and city centres are the fare and the travelling time (deneufville, Odoni 2003). Examples of cooperation between airports and rail operators, which have proved their worth elsewhere in Europe, can be adapted in Poland. At many airports of the old European Union, a rail link with the city centre is the main connection. In Poland, such a system is now being created. The first link between the city centre and the airport was launched in 2006 in Cracow. At present, passengers using the rail link arrive at the Balice station, which is about 400 metres away from the terminal building the distance they can cover on foot or on a free shuttle of the urban transport provider. The airport, together with the local government and rail operators, is planning to extend the railway line to the new passenger terminal and build an underground station. A project of upgrading the line from Warszawa Zachodnia station to the Okęcie airport in Warsaw is also under way. Fig.. The Balice Ekspres Source: Photo by D. Tłoczyński The project will include the modernisation of the railway line No 8 and the construction of a two-kilometre section from Służewiec station to Terminal 2 (.2 kilometres in a tunnel). When works are completed, trains will be able to travel at a speed range of km/h and the trip from the city centre to the airport will take about 20 minutes. This 20 m PLN worth of project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (46.24 %) and the budget (53,76 %). So far, the railway station has been built as part of the Okęcie airport development. A project is also planned for a rail link between International and the GOP. Fig. 2. Rail airports link in Silesia Source: B. Piwowar: Koncepcja powiązań komunikacją kolejową MPL w Pyrzowicach z aglomeracją Śląską. Seminarium naukowe CNTK: Kolej w aglomeracjach, Gdańsk, październik 2007 r. 229

5 K. Hebel, D. Tłoczyński / TRANSBALTICA 20 Fig. 3. The Pomerania Region rail network Source: As many as seven options have been examined and compared during study work, not only from the technical and financial points of view, but also in terms of the prospective demand and accessibility of each of the options for the inhabitants of the whole Silesian conurbation. As according to the studies conducted, residents of the cities of, Sosnowiec and Gliwice account for more than 20 % of the passengers at airport, the authors suggest the selection of a route that will secure a quick rail link between and the airport. As Gdańsk airport is situated outside the Tricity conurbation, and there are prospects for the development of airports in Gdańsk and in Gdynia, studies are necessary on the possible solutions of passenger transit between the cities and the airports. The studies conducted so far provide for the inclusion of the airport links in the Metropolitan Rail concept. The best option for the Metropolitan Rail is being sought, while the concept of a track to be used by both the tram and the rail, accepted by all the stakeholders, is being revised on a regular basis. 5. Conclusions s must have a transport link to the city centre. The demand for such services is generated not only by tourists but also by those seeing them off and airport personnel. All Polish cities that have an international airport (except Szczecin) have bus links with their airports. They are attractively priced for both tourists and airport personnel. Bus links are much easier to launch quickly than rail links. Track projects require more massive funding and take a longer time to complete. As rail project development is long and costly, the adjustment process has to be started well in advance. Investment projects for rail links between city centres and airports have already begun. Since the rail has a much greater transport capacity than bus links, the accessibility of the airports provided with a rail link will improve dramatically. Such projects will also greatly reduce the travelling time to the airports concerned, as rail transport is not sensitive to congestion. References Available from internet: < Available from internet: < Available from internet: < 230

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