TOURS OF
PRAGUE AIRPORT
GROUP
AND INDIVIDUAL
TOUR
ROUTES
www.prg.aero
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PRAGUE AIRPORT OFFERS
AN APPEALING SETTING FOR YOU
TO SOAK UP THE ATMOSPHERE OF
DISTANT LANDS AND TAKE ONBOARD
FRESH KNOWLEDGE. IT IS A PLACE
THAT AROUSES THE EXPLORER IN YOU.
THE PROSPECT OF INIMITABLE
EXPERIENCE AWAITS NOT ONLY THOSE
WHO TRAVEL, BUT ALSO THOSE WHO
COME TO TAKE A PEEK BEHIND THE
SCENES OF THE AIRPORT.
Taking one of Prague Airport’s tours will
give you an insight into many interesting
professional facilities and places not usually
seen by the travelling public. You will learn
more about Central and Eastern Europe’s
best airport (World Airport Awards 2007)
at close quarters. You will see the hustle
and bustle on the aprons, find out about
the runway system and come within
touching distance of those fascinating
flying machines. You will be just a few dozen
metres away from the takeoff and landing
of different types of aircraft and you will
discover new airlines that have singled out
Prague as a destination. You will have the
opportunity to visit the Czech Republic’s
most modern Emergency Rescue Service
and Fire Station, which opened in 2006,
and Terminal 2, named Czech Transport
Structure of the Year in 2006.
ENJOY THE TRAVEL ATMOSPHERE
FROM THE OTHER SIDE.
ROUTE 1 GROUP TOURS
ROUTE 2
GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL TOURS
1 Terminal 3 – the start of the tour
Put into operation on 3 September 1997.
This terminal is used primarily for General Aviation flights and can handle 80 passengers an hour.
From here, Czech Airlines runs a scheduled service to Braunschweig in Germany twice a day.
VIP lounges, General Aviation handling operations and crew rooms are available in this terminal. Other facilities here are an information service, an ATM, a car park ticket machine, a restaurant, and the Pilot Shop for all a pilot’s needs.
The Hotel Ramada links up with Terminal 3, and Aviation Service also operates a workshop here for smaller aircraft.
2 Terminal for government flights
This is Prague Airport’s original terminal, put into operation on 5 April 1937.
At 9:00 a.m. on that day, the Czechoslovak Air Transport Company landed the first DC-2 here as the final destination of a route taking in Piešťany, Zlín, Brno and Prague. The architectural design of the check-in building is the work of architect Adolf Benš and earned him a gold medal at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1937. The terminal was used for civil air transport in 1937–1939 and then from June 1945 to June 1968.
The German Luftwaffe operated here between 15 March 1939 and May 1945.
The building is now used by the Czech Ministry of Defence and handles government flights.
3 Hangars
Civil Aviation Authority hangar
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Czech Republic is responsible for the state supervision of Czech civil aviation. It uses calibration aircraft to conduct checks of airports in the Czech Republic, focusing on navigation and radiolocation equipment, airport systems, light safety systems, the marking of movement areas, etc. It investigates aircraft accidents and has a laboratory here. The Authority’s administration building is located opposite the hangars.
Travel Service hangar
Travel Service is a Czech airline that specializes in charter flights and, under its Smart Wings brand, in low-cost services to European destinations and to Dubai (UAE) – the only Czech budget airline to operate this route.
Prague Airport Airfield Operations
This unit checks the airport’s runway system and other areas to ensure that the facilities are fit for aviation operations. It uses a Sarsys test vehicle to measure runway (RWY) braking efficiency if there is a change in surface conditions (snow, ice, water).
4 Biological protection of the airport
This facility protects aircraft from collisions with birds by using trained birds of prey as natural predators (golden eagle, kestrel, hawk, falcon).
The Prague Biological Protection Centre is of a high standard in terms of its technical equipment and the number of birds of prey it uses.
5 Airport background facilities
Prague Airport
Prague Airport operates a public international civil airport. It offers services to the travelling and non-travelling public, airlines, carriers and other airport users. The company’s assets in this part include: warehouses, a washing facility, a fuel station, fleet management, the dog training facilities of the airport security service, and garages for winter machinery.
The airport has high-quality technology for winter operations and is amply equipped to clean the runways and other surfaces: – 2 Smidt snow cutters with a capacity of 1,500 tonnes per hour, – 2 Smidt Supra cutters with a capacity of 5,000 tonnes per hour, – 2 jet sprinklers for preventive de-icer spraying, with a 24 m reach, – 2 gritting vehicles with a 24 m reach,
– 4 compact Schorling P17C machines (sweeper, blower), – 2 Schorling P21 sweepers,
– 2 Boschung machines for sweeping and clearing snow, – 1 Boschung BJB 8000G multipurpose cleaner, – 4 towed sweepers,
– and other technology. Czech Airlines
A training centre for crew training. It is equipped with B737, ATR 42/72, and A320 simulators and other simulators for professional training and simulations of unusual flight situations. Every year, up to 5,000 pilots and 13,200 flight stewardesses from Czech Airlines and other airlines are trained on the simulators. Administration building, hangars.
Czech Police Force – Air Service and Ambulance Service of the City of Prague
The Czech Police Air Service organizes police missions to rescue human lives and to search for missing persons and dangerous criminals. It carries out patrol flights, tracks stolen vehicles, conducts traffic surveys, etc. Police helicopters also contribute to the activities of the Ambulance Service, to the organ transplant programme and to rescue flights during natural disasters. There is a heliport in the complex.
6 RWY 04/22
The original runway from 1937, when it had a grass surface and was 950 m long. It was subsequently concreted over and was last extended in 1977 to a length of 2,300 m and a width of 60 m. Today it is used as an aircraft parking area. The threshold
of Runway 04 would be used for the ‘emergency parking’ of aircraft that have become the victim of a terrorist attack or hijacking.
7 RWY 13/31
Prague Airport’s secondary runway, measuring 3,250 m by 45 m, equipped for operation under I CAT ICAO conditions. This runway was put into operation in 1937 as an 800-metre long grass strip; over the years it has been given a concrete surface and was last extended in 1977.
8 Air traffic control radars
TAR building – equipped with the antenna of the primary and secondary radar. The primary radar locates structures, the secondary radar tracks aircraft movements in airspace. MSSR building (with the tower and dome) – a steel tower with the radome (i.e. the enclosure to protect the radar antenna). The antenna of the primary and secondary radar rotates inside.
The primary radar has a reach of approximately 150 km and works on a principle of target reflection (i.e. it sees all aircraft in that range). The secondary radar has a range of approximately 300 km and operates on a response principle (i.e. it sees only targets which have their responder switched on, and therefore is able to identify the aircraft in question).
This is an asymmetrical structure designed by Vlado Milunič; according to the technology supplier (Thales, France), it would appear to be the only asymmetrical radar tower in the world.
9 Hangar F, Czech Airlines
The hangar was built between 1964 and 1969. The hangar is designed with the unique suspension of the steel roof structure; the hangar hall, measuring 213 m by 59 m, has no interior supports. Workshops, stores and an administrative block are located in the hangar. The hangar is used for the maintenance and inspection of aircraft.
10 Fire station
The fire station was put into operation in December 2006 and is one of the most modern facilities of its kind in the Czech Republic. The station is equipped with:
– 4 large-capacity Rosenbauer fire engines designed to tackle aviation incidents (12,000 l of water, 1,500 l of foam and 250–500 kg of powder, depending on the type), – water-tender vehicles,
– special ancillary equipment, – rapid response facilities,
– a 37-metre extension ladder,
– a container system (medical container, containers with cutting equipment, foam-concentrate container).
There are also complete facilities for chemical intervention, workshops and a vehicle and equipment wash.
The station incorporates a fitness centre, gym and Physical Stress Centre, where stress tests with breathing equipment are carried out. Under regulation L14 MD, which is based on ICAO rules,
Prague Airport is classified under Category 9, which defines the quantity of fire extinguishing facilities required for a certain type of aircraft. The response time is set at just three minutes in accordance with ICAO regulations.
There are 88 employees, who work in four shifts.
11 Air Czech Catering a.s. in-flight services building
This company delivers refreshments to aircrafts.
12 APC – Czech Airlines building
The company headquarters, with crew and administration facilities.
13 RODOP administration centre
This centre was put into operation on 20 October 1998. It houses a customs office, post office, bank, and several airlines and forwarders. There is also a restaurant, several shops and a cleaning service.
14 Car Park A
This car park can accommodate 800 vehicles and is used by airport employees.
15 Technical block with the Air Traffic Control tower
This block was put into operation on 3 November 1972, when Air Traffic Control and the Aviation Meteorology Service observation tower were located here.
The airport mobile radar system is installed on the roof. Offices of two air traffic control units – the national enterprise Řízení letového provozu ČR, s.p. (Air Traffic Control, Czech Republic) for civil operations and the Czech Army’s Air Traffic Control for military purposes – can be found here.
16 Fuel depot
Aircraft are tanked up by Agip, Lukoil, Shell and Total.
17 Terminal 2
This terminal was put into operation on 6 January 2006, pushing up the airport’s handling capacity to 15.5 million passengers per year. The terminal, measuring 263 metres by 170 metres, is designed to handle flights to EU countries which are part of the Schengen area. It has two levels and six dual air bridges.
The departure section has 60 check-in counters and is prepared for future expansion. There are airline desks, travel agency
counters, a luggage-wrapping service and oversize baggage check-in facility. An observation terrace and a museum detailing the history of aviation and Prague Airport are also open to visitors here. There are several fast-food restaurants and shops
in the departure section.
At Terminal 2, passengers no longer pass through passport control; there is only a central security check here, where travellers are also required to show their boarding cards. Airside, there are shops, restaurants, cafés and a children’s corner.
The arrival section in located in the lower part of the building, providing a swift exit to waiting taxis, privately contracted transport, public transport and short-term car parks for cars and coaches. Towards the apron, there is a baggage sorting facility with a capacity of 3,000 items of baggage per hour, with plans for expansion to 5,000 items of baggage per hour in the future. Pier C, with 9 simple air bridges, links up with Terminal 2. Pier C has two levels; in both parts there are passenger gates, shops and refreshment facilities. Pier C (like Piers B and A) has a Docking Guidance System for aircraft parking stands.
18 Apron
This is mainly used for smaller aircraft and is also available when the air bridges are fully occupied. Aircraft are guided to the parking stands by the Air Traffic Control’s ‘Follow me’ service. There is an aircraft de-icing area here. In all, the airport has 63 aircraft parking stands, including the stands at the air bridges.
19 RWY 06/24
This runway, previously designated 07/25, was 3,115 m long when it was opened in 1963. It is currently Prague Airport’s main runway, measuring 3,715 metres by 45 metres (it was last extended in 1982). It is equipped for CAT IIIB ICAO operations (i.e. it can be used in conditions of reduced visibility), and has an Anti-skid surface to enhance the runway’s braking efficiency.
20 Airport fuel supply
A filling station with a railway siding (in Středokluky), the central fuel store with six large-capacity tanks, a pumping station and pipes to transport the fuel to the tanker depot.
21 Connecting building
This structure, measuring 175 m by 85 m, provides a link between Terminal 2 and Terminal 1.
The airside part is fitted with travelators and shops for travellers, and also houses operating facilities.
The Hotel Tranzit 2 is situated here, offering accommodation to transit passengers in 12 rooms, even for short-term stays of several hours. On the first floor landside there is a congress centre, shops, a children’s corner, an exhibition on the history and construction of Prague Airport, and the entrance to the observation terrace.
22 Terminal 1
Put into operation on 3 June 1997. This terminal handles flights to non-Schengen European countries and all other destinations around the world. It has a capacity of 6.8 million passengers per year. The terminal comprises two sections with a short connecting area. The arrival zone, measuring 147 metres by 100 metres (including the connecting area), is housed in a building opened on 15 June 1968. Over the years, it was renovated and reconstructed several times, most recently in 1997. Travel agency counters, an information desk, a café and other traveller services are located here. There is a self-service restaurant on the first floor with an observation terrace.
A five-storey administration section, interconnected with the terminal, stands above the arrival zone.
There is a self-service restaurant, a bar and shops in the short connecting area.
The departure zone, measuring 105 metres by 82 metres, has 62 check-in desks, a special check-in facility for oversize baggage, airline counters, an information desk, a baggage-wrapping service and refreshments.
Beyond passport control, there is a large airside area with many stores, duty free shops, cafés and refreshment outlets. Here, passengers can make use of a meditation room, a room for mothers with children, a self-service restaurant on the first floor, and the Prague Restaurant with table service. Business lounges are also located here.
Piers A and B, with passenger gates and air bridges, link up to the departure zone. Passengers pass through security control as they enter the individual gates. Additional shops and cafés are spread out along the piers. Travelators are a convenient way for passengers to reach their gate.
23 VIP lounges
These luxury lounges offer services to passengers, including complete handling on departure and arrival, 24 hours a day. Maximum service is ensured by reserved parking, refreshments prepared to the customer’s wishes, an Internet centre, conference and meeting rooms and a press room. These premises may be hired and used for social events.
24 Crew gate
This is where flight crews are handled on departure and arrival. It includes passport control, a customs service and security checks. It is mainly used for the crews of airlines that use Prague as a home base.
25 Low-floor bus park
The airport mainly uses 20 special Cobus 3,000 buses with a capacity of 100 passengers and Karosa buses to transfer passengers to and from aircraft at parking stands with no air bridges. This bus park has facilities for drivers.
26 De-icing stand
This is used in the winter, when aircraft have to be anti-iced and de-iced prior to departure. An ecological propanediol-based fluid is used.
27 GASTRO-HROCH, s.r.o. in-flight services
This company prepares and delivers refreshments to aircraft along with goods for in-flight sales.
28 Cargo zone
Freight aircraft are handled in this area, which has six parking stands. The cargo terminals of Menzies Group Aviation and Skyport are used for the storage and clearance of cargo. These facilities are composed of storage and handling areas equipped with coolers and freezers, and areas for valuable consignments, plants and animals. There is also an office section for logistic and forwarding companies.
The Frontier Veterinary Station and a phytopathological control centre are situated between the cargo terminals.
29 Multistorey car park C
There are 3,000 parking spaces here; LPG-powered vehicles are permitted to park on the roof. On the ground floor, there are parking spaces for car rental companies, which have counters in the entrance hall. On the second floor, there are 104 secure spaces available with surveillance.
Short-term and long-term parking is available at the car park at competitive rates.
30 Europort complex
Put into operation on 26 April 2007.
This complex includes the Hotel Courtyard by Marriott Prague Airport, with 235 rooms. The ground floor is designed for retail use. There is a restaurant, a café, a supermarket, shops and other services.
31 Czech Police building 32 Car Park D
This car park has 850 spaces. The ticket can be used to ride public transport free to Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. The car park offers long-term parking at favourable rates.
33 Hotel Tranzit
This hotel has 70 rooms, a restaurant and a conference centre.
34 Travel Service building
Premises for the company management, crews and administration facilities.
35 Waste and Contaminated Water Treatment Plant 2
Waste and Contaminated Water Treatment Plant 1 is situated close to RWY 06/24.
36 Parallel runway
The construction of this runway is being prepared.
The runway will be parallel to RWY 06/24; on completion it will be possible to use both runways at the same time, one for takeoff and the other for landing.
37 Air Traffic Control, Czech Republic, training centre 38 Prague Airport administration building
39 Residential houses
These houses were part of the original construction plan from the 1937s. They were built for airport employees as part of the project to set up Prague Airport. There is also a villa here, built for the first director of the airport in 1937.
ROUTE 3 GROUP TOURS
1 Terminal 1, arrivals – the start of the tour
(at Service Entrance 15)
The Terminal 1 arrivals zone is the original building of the terminal, which was put into operation on 15 June 1968.
The terminal building, projected to handle departures and arrivals, measured 104 metres by 72 metres. Above the passenger section, there was a four-storey administration building. The complex included an observation terrace (above Gallery A). Under the gallery, there was a ‘government lounge’ with a separate entrance. Gallery C in the west was designed for domestic flights. Both galleries were discontinued when the new terminal was built in 1995–1997.
The current landside arrival zone houses the counters of exchange offices, hotel services, transport companies and travel agencies. A Prague Airport information desk, café, ATMs and newsagent’s are also available here, while the first floor offers a self-service restaurant that incorporates an observation terrace for smokers. Airside, there are three baggage carousels, handling company claim counters and exchange offices.
A short connecting area, containing shops, a restaurant and a bar, provides a link to the departure zone.
2 Terminal 1, departures
This part was put into operation on 3 June 1997. Flights to non-Schengen countries are currently handled here. The building measures 105 metres by 82 metres and is fitted with 62 check-in desks.
Passengers here will also find a separate counter for oversize baggage, a luggage-wrapping service, an information desk and airline counters. There is also a customs office to confirm tax-free purchases, and travellers and visitors can use the pharmacy, refreshment facilities and casino here. After passing through passport control, passengers find themselves airside, where they can make last-minute purchases in brand stores and several duty-free shops; there are also gift shops, newsagents, cafés and bars here.
The airside zone has a desk for transit passengers, a room for mothers with children, a meditation room and massage chairs. The first floor includes business-class lounges, the Crystal Lounge operated by Czech Airlines, the SkyTeam Alliance and other affiliated companies, and a lounge run by Menzies Group Aviation, which provides services to other airlines. The Prague Restaurant with table service, a self-service restaurant, a sushi bar and other refreshment facilities can also be found here.
Piers A and B, with waiting areas and gates, link up to this transit zone. Security checks with X-ray machines are conducted at the entrance to each gate. Both piers have two levels. In Pier A, there are nine gates, while in Pier B there are nine gates accessed via bridges, and a further 11 gates on the lower level for passengers who are transported by bus to parking stands without air bridges. In each pier there are nine air bridges. The upper areas of the piers are fitted with travelators to make it easier for passengers to move around. Additional shops and cafés are spread out along the piers.
3 VIP lounges
Luxury lounges with superior services provided by Prague Airport are situated under the arrivals zone of Terminal 1; they have a separate entrance and car park, and direct access to the apron. These lounges may be used by passengers who prefer privacy and comfort. The check-in is handled by VIP service employees. Refreshments are served from the menu or to order. Passengers can enjoy television broadcasts and the Internet. Persons accompanying these passengers to or from the airport may join them here. Passengers are transferred to the aircraft separately by bus. Passengers can also go shopping in the transit zone. VIP lounges also have facilities for press conferences, and there is a meeting room here where meetings and smaller social events can be held.
4 Connecting building
This area links up Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Travelators are installed airside for passenger convenience. A duty-free shop is available, and there is plenty of seating for passengers to rest. The 12-room Hotel Tranzit 2 here operates primarily for transit passengers; it is perfectly insulated from the airport noise. Rooms are available even for a few hours for those wishing to rest between flights or simply make use of the showers and refreshments.
On the first floor of the connecting building and between the airside and landside zones on the ground floor, there are offices and operational areas. The Central Operating Control Centre, the airport’s ‘brain’, is located on the first floor, overlooking the apron. Before entering Terminal 2, all passengers and employees must pass through a central X-ray security check.
In the connecting building’s landside, there are shops
and refreshments, a post office, and branches of travel agencies, which also have mobile counters to serve clients prior to departure. On the first floor of the building there is a large congress hall, a pharmacy, a toy shop with a children’s corner, and a pastry shop. There is also an exhibition covering the history and construction of Prague Airport and access to an observation terrace, where visitors can watch what is happening on the apron and see aircraft take off and land on RWY 06/24.
5 Pier C
This pier is part of Terminal 2, where flights within the Schengen area are handled. It is fitted with nine air bridges and 20 gates for passengers, who are ferried to more remote parking stands by bus. The pier has travelators, and passengers can enjoy the numerous shops and cafés here.
Passengers reach the departure zone of Terminal 2 by lift or escalator.
6 Terminal 2
This terminal was put into operation together with Pier C on 6 January 2006; it has the capacity to handle 15.5 million passengers per year.
It is designed to handle flights to EU countries which are part of the Schengen area. The terminal has two levels.
The lower level is the arrival zone. There are two baggage carousels in operation, nearby there are the claim counters of handling companies. The terminal is equipped with a modern baggage sorting facility capable of handling 3,000 items of baggage per hour.
Landside, there are exchange offices, a public transport desk selling tickets, an information desk and a café. In front of the terminal, there is a zone for non-regulated (privately contracted) transport, taxi ranks and bus stops. There is also a short-term car park here.
The upper level, which vehicles reach by travelling along a modern elevated road (named the Transport Structure of the Year 2005), is designed to handle departures.
There are 60 check-in counters here, with room for expansion by a further 40 counters in the future.
The airport’s passengers and visitors can use the airport information desk and the services of several airlines and travel agencies. There is also a baggage-wrapping service and a special counter to handle oversize baggage. Fast-food outlets can be found here too.
No passport control takes place in this terminal any more. After checking in, passengers pass through boarding card control and then undergo a security check, which is carried out centrally for all flights handled in Terminal 2. Those passengers holding an e-ticket and carrying only cabin baggage can go straight to boarding card control and the X-ray check to reach their aircraft. Airside, passengers will find many stores and duty-free shops, cafés and restaurants. Children can while away the time before departure in a children’s corner. Business lounges are located on the first floor of the terminal.
Terminal 2 has six gates, six air bridges are installed on two levels – the upper level is for passengers to embark, and the lower level is for the passage from the aircraft to the arrivals hall.
In 2007, Prague Airport was named the best airport in Central and Eastern Europe in the World Airport Awards.
www.prg.aero
Prague Airport
K Letišti 6/1019, 160 08 Praha 6
More information and tour bookings
tel.: +420 220 111 288
Group tours
