Ryanair, Poland’s largest airline, has unveiled plans to build the largest simulator and training centre in Central Europe at Krakow Airport in southern Poland. The investment worth €130 million (PLN 600 million) is another element of Ryanair’s successful cooperation with the city of Krakow and the airport where they have a market share of 55%.
The new training centre will feature 8 Full Flight and 2 fixed base Boeing 737-8200 MAX simulators and will have the capacity to train up to 500 pilots and cabin crew on any given day. The centre will also have associated classrooms and briefing rooms and create approximately 150 instructor, examiner, cabin crew trainer, rostering and administration jobs.
The development will include the construction of a new road joining the airport and the new training centre. The road will be built jointly by the City of Krakow and Ryanair enabling pedestrian traffic between the airport and the centre
Commenting on the plans, Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair, said: “As the number 1 airline in Poland and Europe, we are happy to announce plans to invest another PLN 600 million (EUR 130 million) in Poland. Our simulator and training centre in Krakow, which will enable the training of up to 500 people a day and create additional 150 qualified jobs, will be the first of its kind and the most innovative centre in this part of Europe. The road, which will be built thanks to cooperation with the city of Krakow, is an important element of this investment, which will improve communication between our centre and the city and the airport. We are convinced that this investment will have a positive impact on the business and tourism of Krakow and the entire Lesser Poland Voivodeship.”
Jacek Majchrowski, Mayor of the City of Krakow, emphasized: “Our common goal is the development of the city, and this is particularly conducive to initiatives based on the implementation of modern technologies. We are glad that it is in Krakow that Ryanair will build a new simulator and training centre – which, once again, proves the attractiveness of our city for investors and strengthens its position as a centre of innovation. Assistance in the investment process is a natural role of the Krakow local government, which is why we support Ryanair in obtaining the necessary documents and decisions enabling the timely construction of the centre along with the surrounding road infrastructure. Such cooperation brings mutual benefits and confirms the image of Krakow as a city open to innovative business and investor-friendly.”
The Marshal of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Witold Kozłowski, said: “The board of the voivodship, whose work I have the honour to lead, pays great attention to the development of Małopolska, both in the area of economy, but also technology and business. We are building a network of domestic and international partners, including Ryanair. Therefore, I am very happy with this investment, which we are inaugurating together today. This is a huge development impulse for the International Airport, John Paul II in Krakow-Balice, but also the entire region.”
Radosław Włoszek, President of the Management Board of Kraków Airport, added: “The launch of the training centre is a great honour for our region, city and airport. We are very happy that Ryanair sees the potential for further investment in Krakow and Lesser Poland. Perfectly trained and specialised staff are a guarantee of the development of the aviation industry in terms of passenger safety and comfort. I am convinced that the simulator and training centre will contribute to the creation of new jobs in the region, and will also become a world-famous school of aviation.”
The construction of the new Ryanair Training Centre in Krakow will begin at the beginning of 2024. The first stage of the investment, with 4 flight simulators, will be launched in 2025 with plans to reach full training capacity in 2026.
