%0 Journal Article
%T Regional airports in Central and Eastern Europe after the liberalization of the aviation market
%A Pijet-Migoń, Edyta
%J Transport Geography Papers of Polish Geographical Society
%V 2019
%R 10.4467/2543859XPKG.19.011.11151
%N 22 (2)
%P 63-73
%K air transport, regional airports, low cost carriers
%@ 1426-5915
%D 2019
%U https://ejournals.eu/en/journal/pkgkptg/article/regionalne-porty-lotnicze-w-europie-srodkowo-wschodniej-po-liberalizacji-rynku-transportu-lotniczego
%X 
	Political and economic changes in Central and Eastern Europe have had dramatic influence on air transportation market and its growth. In new European Union member countries liberalization of the market was the crucial factor, but in the eastern part of Germany, previously German Democratic Republic, the process of reunification of the country was the most important and hence, major changes and growths were of an earlier date. The implementation of the Third Liberalization Package in Western Europe, which occurred afterwards, was not so visible. The expansion of low cost carriers brought changes at almost all regional airports. Nowadays LCCs have a dominant position or even monopoly in smaller airports. Regional airports boomed especially in Poland and Romania, the most successful ones being Kraków, Gdańsk, Katowice, Wrocław, Cluj-Napoca, Timişoara and Iaşi. In the case of smaller countries the number of passengers increased significantly in Kaunas, Palanga and Debrecen. Not all airports have developed according to the forecasts. Substantial investments in infrastructure of some airports can be perceived as misguided.