Kraków-Rakowice-Czyżyny Airport

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Outdoor display at the airport museum

Kraków-Rakowice-Czyżyny Airport is a disused (but open for occasional traffic by certain types of aircraft) airport in Kraków, Poland, one of the oldest permanent airfields in Europe. A portion of it is now the site of the Polish Aviation Museum, and a 720-meter long and 60-meter wide portion of the concrete runway 26 has been restored for occasional use by light planes (to 7500 kg) and helicopters, and for use by the museum.

[edit] History

The airfield has its beginnings in 1912 as a military airport, when it was established for the needs of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In 1917 the airfield became one of the stages in the first European air mail service linking Vienna with Kiev and Odessa.

The airport was in continuous use to 1963, until the expansion of Nowa Huta forced its closure, and the relocation of the Kraków airport 16 km westwards, to the village of Balice.

In June 2004, a portion of the airport contiguous with the Polish Aviation Museum was reopened as a police helicopter base and for an occasional fixed-wing aircraft traffic on runway 26 for an annual two-day air show held on the last weekend of June. The museum is also likely to use this airfield for flying some of its collection or acquiring new exhibits.