Václav Řehoř, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Czech Aeroholding: “To remain competitive, and be able to meet the needs of airlines and passengers in the future, we are investing in state-of-the-art technology and projects.”
There perhaps couldn’t be a more appropriate airport to host the 25th ACI EUROPE General Assembly, Congress & Exhibition. The theme of this year’s event is ‘Airports and the Future of Tourism’ – an area of key strategic relevance to both Václav Havel Airport Prague, and the city of Prague itself. Václav Řehoř, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Czech Aeroholding, shared his vision for the continued sustainable growth of the airport with Ross Falconer.
Prague is, of course, a political, cultural and economic centre at the heart of central Europe. Its rich history makes it a popular tourist destination, with 5.3 million visitors in 2014. The city’s attractions are myriad – from Prague Castle to the iconic Charles Bridge – and the historical centre, with the Old Town Square at its core, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Indeed, Prague was voted number 5 in this year’s TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Destination Awards.
All of this makes Václav Havel Airport Prague a particularly fitting host of the 25th ACI EUROPE General Assembly, Congress & Exhibition, the theme of which is ‘Airports and the Future of Tourism’. “Airports are undoubtedly an inseparable part of the tourism industry, and I am proud that the world’s leading airports and airlines, together with other tourism industry stakeholders, are arriving in Prague to discuss further developments in this field, stressing a need for a close cooperation and mutual understanding,” Václav Řehoř, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Czech Aeroholding, commented.
The popularity of Prague as a destination is certainly borne out by the airport’s traffic figures. Václav Havel Airport Prague welcomed 11.1 million passengers in 2014 (+1.6%), and forecasts for 2015 indicate an overall increase of about 3%. It handled over two million passengers in the first quarter of 2015 – a 3.58% year-on-year increase. Řehoř explained that the biggest rise was experienced on routes from Europe and the Near East, with London, Rome and Dubai among those performing particularly well. That success has continued into Q2 – a 7.8% year-on-year increase in passenger numbers was recorded in May.
Increasing terminal and apron capacity
The popularity of Prague as a destination is reflected in the airport’s traffic figures. It handled over two million passengers in the first quarter of 2015 – a 3.58% year-on-year increase.
Development of new airport infrastructure is vital in the context of this continued growth. “To remain competitive, and be able to meet the needs of airlines and passengers in the future, we are investing in state-of-the-art technology and projects,” Řehoř explained. He highlighted the reconfiguration of stand 14 and its connected gate, which will enable it to handle larger capacity aircraft. “This will speed-up the handling of large aircraft by about one-third,” Řehoř added.
Meanwhile, the major ongoing project is the new parallel runway, which is currently in the preparatory stages. Passenger numbers are forecast to rise to 15 million a year by 2024, which will require the use of this new runway. “We are currently working on increasing the terminal capacity too, to ensure that upon opening the new parallel runway there is enough terminal and apron capacity,” Řehoř said.
Some 3.5 million travellers each year use public transport to access the airport, and there is a clear commitment to delivering a fast and comfortable connection. Recent public transport developments, particularly with Prague’s metro and bus networks, have made the journey to the airport quicker in the latest enhancement to the passenger experience. “Together with Prague City Hall and Prague Public Transport Company, we have prepared a fast and modern connection between the airport and the city centre, taking 30 minutes and at prices equal to a little over €1,” Řehoř noted.
He articulated a strong desire to increase passenger satisfaction across all aspects of the airport journey – improvements have been made this year to the parking and food & beverage offers, with the goal of expanding the proposition for passengers. There are also plans to introduce e-gates for automated passport control.
“Among our long-term projects, we wish to reinforce the positive perception of our country and its capital city. Therefore, we have decided to locate objects featuring motifs of Prague and the Czech Republic around the airport’s premises,” Řehoř explained. “We have also announced a new architectural competition for the creation of a new outdoor area in front of the terminals, which will provide a comfortable environment even for future increased passenger volumes.”
While increasing passenger satisfaction is one key objective, the second is to facilitate the growth of non-aviation revenues. A new retail concept, including walkthrough stores, is planned. There is also a wish to move some restaurants closer to the gates. “As early as this summer season, we will introduce improved signage and overall communication of the restaurants we operate. Prices are also being adjusted to better reflect the price/quality ratio. Last, but not least, we have also attracted appealing new tenants, such as the network of healthy fast food restaurants Rancheros,” Řehoř commented.
Prague Airport Incentive Scheme
Václav Havel Airport Prague has a strong desire to increase passenger satisfaction across all aspects of the airport journey – improvements have been made this year to the parking and food & beverage offers, with the goal of expanding the proposition for passengers. There are also plans to introduce e-gates for automated passport control.
Václav Havel Airport Prague offers airlines a transparent incentive programme, which, through discounts on airport charges and marketing support, is designed to motivate airlines to launch new connections and increase the frequency of their existing services to Prague. The Prague Airport Incentive Scheme has been extended – alongside discounts on landing charges, it now also provides discounts on passenger service charges for the first year of operation. Support is provided for new connections, expanded services outside the main operational season, and for the use of aircraft with larger seat capacity.
Preparations are already underway for the winter flight schedule. “The Prime Minister personally assigned me the task of negotiating a new direct route between Prague and China. After very intensive negotiations, we were most successful with Hainan Airlines, which is able to launch a new direct Prague-Beijing connection as early as this autumn,” Řehoř said.
The airport is striving for further long-haul connections where it sees passenger demand, including Bangkok, Tokyo and Hanoi, and has identified Shanghai as another Chinese destination with strong potential. “We will also endeavour to extend the seasonal route to New York to a year-round operation, and extend Toronto and Montréal services for the entire summer season,” Řehoř added. “As for new routes to the American continent, we see passenger interest in a connection to Chicago, for example.”
It is clear that Václav Havel Airport Prague is pursuing a progressive growth strategy. Delegates at this year’s ACI EUROPE General Assembly, Congress & Exhibition will experience many of the airport’s passenger experience enhancements first-hand, as well as the vibrant, historic city of Prague. “It is a real pleasure for us to host such a prestigious event. We have worked hard to prepare amazing social functions in order for delegates to enjoy the unique charm and beauty of our capital,” Řehoř concluded.
