Kraków John Paul II International Airport Guide

Kraków John Paul II International Airport sits 11 km west of Kraków in the village of Balice, in southern Poland. It is the country's second-busiest airport after Warsaw Chopin, handling 11.1 million passengers in 2024 — an 18% increase from the prior year. A single terminal opened in December 2016 replaced the older facilities and now operates around the clock, with a direct rail link to Kraków Główny station taking approximately 17 minutes.

The airport is named after Pope John Paul II, who served as Archbishop of Kraków from 1963 to 1978 and was born in nearby Wadowice. Construction of the current runway began in the 1960s, with scheduled civil flights starting in 1967. In 2024, the airport announced plans for a new terminal to address growing passenger volumes, with route coverage spanning four continents and 166 scheduled connections operated by 27 airlines.

Low-cost carriers Ryanair and Wizz Air dominate traffic, alongside network carriers LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, and British Airways. Long-haul services include Emirates and Qatar Airways. The airport serves as a gateway to southern Poland's major attractions, including the Wieliczka Salt Mine and Tatra Mountain resorts.