Prague Ruzyně Airport Letiště Praha-Ruzyně
IATA: PRG – ICAO: LKPR
Summary
Airport type		Public
Operator		Airport Prague
Serves		Prague
Location		Ruzyně district of Prague
Hub for		Czech Airlines Smart Wings Travel Service Wizz Air
Elevation AMSL		1247 ft / 380 m
Coordinates		50°06′03″N 014°15′36″E / 50.10083°N 14.26°E / 50.10083; 14.26 (Prague-Ruzyně Airport)Coordinates: 50°06′03″N 014°15′36″E / 50.10083°N 14.26°E / 50.10083; 14.26 (Prague-Ruzyně Airport)
Website		www.PRG.aero
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	m	ft
06/24	3,715	12,191	Concrete
13/31	3,250	10,665	Concrete
04/22	2,120	6,955	Asphaltic concrete
Helipads
Number	Length		Surface
	m	ft
H2	11.2	37	Asphalt
H3	11.2	37	Asphalt
H4	11.2	37	Asphalt
Statistics (2009)
Passengers			11,643,366
Passenger growth 08-09			-7.8%
Cargo			47,870,804 kg
Source: Czech AIP at EUROCONTROL

Prague Ruzyně Airport (Czech: Letiště Praha-Ruzyně, Czech pronunciation: [ˈpraɦa ˈrʊzɪɲɛ], (IATA: PRG, ICAO: LKPR), serves Prague, Czech Republic. Located 10 kilometres (6 mi) west of the city centre, the airport is a hub for Czech Airlines. It was opened on 5 April 1937. Prague-Ruzyně is the biggest airport in the Czech Republic, and with 11.6 million passengers in 2009, the busiest one within the new EU member states. It was named the best airport in Central and Eastern Europe by Skytrax in 2005 and 2007.

Ruzyně Today

Most flights depart Ruzyně Airport from the North Terminals (Terminal 1 and 2). The South Terminals (Terminal 3 and 4) handle a few irregular flights, as well as VIP flights, special flights and small aircraft.

The airport contains two runways in service: 06/24 and 13/31. Former runway 04/22 is not used any more. The most used runway is 24 due to the prevailing western winds. Runway 31 is also used often. Runway 06 is used rarely, while runway 13 is used only exceptionally.

Public transport to and from Prague city centre involves taking the bus number 119 to Dejvická metro station, and transferring on to the green metro line (Line A) or tram there, or bus number 100 to Zličín metro station (yellow Line B) which is further from the city centre. A typical trip takes about 40 minutes. After midnight when the metro line is closed, night bus number 510 runs from the airport, offering 4 transfer points to centre-bound trams en-route. Also number 179 can be used for a longer but more interesting travel to Nové Butovice metro station (yellow Line B).

Since 14 December 2008, the bus line AE (Airport Express) also provides nonstop service between Terminals North 1 and North 2, and the Prague Main railway station every day from 05:00 to 22:00 H, leaving every half hour.

History

Old control tower built in 1937 (rear view) - now part of Terminal 4

Old control tower (front view) during the visit of Dwight D. Eisenhower in Prague on 12 October 1945

Czechoslovakia belonged, and Czech Republic belongs, to the leading European pioneers of the civil aviation, and became over time a part of the most state-of-the-art continental transportation system. The Prague – Ruzyně Airport began operation on 5 April 1937, but Czechoslovak civil aviation history started at the military airport in Prague - Kbely in 1919. Due to insufficient capacity of the Kbely airport in the middle of the 1930s, the Government decided to develop a new State Civil Airport in Ruzyně. One of the major awards the Prague Ruzyně Airport received include Diploma and Gold Medal granted in 1937 at the occasion of the International Art and Technical Exhibition in Paris (Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne also known as Paris 1937 World's Fair) for the technical conception of the central airport, primarily the architecture of check-in building (nowadays known as Terminal 4) designed by architect Ing. A. Beneš. Other awards were granted for modernization during individual airport development phases. All these facts have been increasing the interest of carriers in using Prague airport. In one of the most dramatic moments in its history, the airport was seized by Soviet paratroopers on the night of August 20-21, 1968, who then facilitated the landing of Soviet troops and transports for the invasion of Czechoslovakia.

The airport has excellent location both with respect to short distance from the centre of Prague and within the European area. Moreover, the Ruzyně fields provide opportunities for further expansion of the airport according to the increasing capacity demand. The airport serves as a hub of the trans-European airport network.

The political and economic changes affected the seventy years of existence of the Prague-Ruzyně Airport. Some new air transportation companies and institutions were founded and some ceased operation since then. Ten entities were responsible for airport administration over time, including the new construction and development. Until the 1990s, there were two or three decade gaps before the major modernization of the Prague-Ruzyně Airport began in order to match the current capacity requirements. Since then, the Airport began modernisation on an ongoing basis and is gradually one of the top European airports.

The airport was used in the James Bond film, Casino Royale. The airport, along with Virgin Atlantic Airbus A340-600, depicts a scene that actually takes place in the film at Miami International Airport.

Further development

APC Building, the head office of Czech Airlines in Ruzyně Airport

As the capacity of the airport has been reaching its limit for the last couple of years (as of 2005), further development of the airport is being considered. Besides regular repairs of the existing runways, Prague Airport (Czech: Letiště Praha s.p.) began the preparations for building a new runway, parallel to the 06/24 runway. The construction with estimated costs of CZK 5-7 billion was scheduled to begin in 2007, and the new runway marked 06R/24L (also called the BIS runway) is to be put into service in 2010. However, because of plenty of legal problems and protests of people who live close to the airport premises, the construction has not yet begun. Despite these problems, the project has support from the government, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2014. animation of the new runway and more info.

It will be over 3,500 metres (11,483 ft) long. Located about 1500 m south-east of the present main runway, the 24L runway will be equipped with a category III ILS, allowing landing and taking off under bad weather conditions.

Prague Airport states that besides increasing the airport capacity, the new runway system will greatly reduce the noise level in some densely inhabited areas of Prague. This should be achieved by reorganising the air traffic space around the airport, and shifting the traffic corridors after putting the two parallel runways into service. The vision of heavy traffic raised many protests from the suburban communities directly surrounding the airport. On 6 November 2004, local referenda were held in two Prague suburbs - Nebušice and Přední Kopanina - giving official support to the local authorities for active opposition against the construction of the parallel runway.

The construction of a railway connection between the airport and Prague city centre is also in the planning stage. According to the most recent plans, the construction should begin in 2011, and the operations should commence in 2014. The track will be served by express trains with special fares, connecting non-stop the airport with the city centre, and local trains fully integrated into Prague integrated transit system.

Terminals

The new control tower

Departure hall of Terminal 1 opened in 1997

Terminal 1 on the right, connecting building in the middle and Terminal 2 on the left.

Departure hall of Terminal 2 opened in 2006

The check-in hall of terminal 2

Concourse B at Christmastime

Ruzyně Airport has two main passenger terminals, two general aviation terminals, as well as a cargo facility.

• Terminal 1: is used for flights outside the Schengen area
• Terminal 2: is used for flights within the Schengen area; it was opened on 17 January 2006
• Terminal 3: is used for private and charter flights; it was opened in 1997
• Terminal 4: is used exclusively for VIP flights and state visits; it is the oldest part of the airport which was opened on 5 April 1937

Airlines and destinations

Charter flights

Cargo airlines

Traffic and statistics

In 2004, the airport served 9.7 million passengers, in 2005 nearly 10.8 million and in 2006 11.6 million. In 2007 the number of passengers rose to 12,440,000 and in 2008 reached 12,630,557. In 2009 the number decreased to 11,643,366, while only 143,060 of them were passengers to domestic destinations. It was 32nd busiest airport in Europe in 2009. Top 10 destinations were:

Other information

Ruzyně Airport took part in the Onion News (funny internet news magazine) with the episode dedicated to Franz Kafka. The Airport was renamed to Franz Kafka Internation Airport in it with funny scenes imitating Kafka´s famous nouvels.

The content above was published at Airports-Worldwide.com in 2009.
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