Flight of Fancy?

Air passengers can now get closer to Krakow city centre than ever before after a bid to allow short-haul aircraft to land on the citys Błonia meadow was approved. Planes arriving in Krakow normally touch down at the nearby John Paul II airport, at Balice, from where passengers must then take a bus, taxi, train or car to the city centre. Round-trip ticket prices vary according to the mode of transport chosen. Instead of paying the extra fare for the short journey, visitors arriving in Krakow by air can now choose to pay a lower, fixed fee to be dropped right in the heart of the city. Long haul flights will still have to land at Balice, as the larger aircraft used on such routes need more space to land safely than is available on the Błonia. Flights from and to European destinations, however, could be arriving at and departing from the meadow from as early as April 1 next year. Only passengers with valid European Union passports or identity cards will be able to take advantage of the city centre landing spot, due to rules about freedom of movement within the union, which is guaranteed for citizens of member states. Other nationalities must disembark at Balice, although once past immigration they will have the option of taking a second flight at the same low fare, to Błonia. Low-cost airlines will also be offered the chance to drop passengers even closer if the project is successful, as the next step would be to allow helicopters to land and take off from the main square.

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