THE DYNAMICS OF THE AIR TRANSPORT DEVELOPMENT IN THE WARMIA AND MAZURY REGION

ABSTRACT

Motives Regional passenger airports are an important component of a developed transportation system that reflects the broader development of the region and the country. Due to the small number of studies examining air transport at the regional micro-scale, it is important to carry out a diagnostic of this mode of transport to determine the possibility of regional development. The article presents the reasons for the creation, stages of construction and transformation of selected airports of northeastern Poland. Aim: The main aim of the study was to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the dynamics of air transport development in the area of northeastern Poland. The entire air transport system in the region was analyzed with a detailed inventory of the largest airport Olsztyn-Mazury. Results: As a result of the study, data on the number of passengers and directions of travel for the past six years were compared. It was determined that Olsztyn-Mazury Airport has a significant development potential, providing an opportunity to rebuild passenger air traffic in Warmia and Mazury hampered by the effects of the COVID-19 virus pandemic. © Copyright by Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Warmińsko-Mazurskiego w Olsztynie.