COVID-19 Pandemic—Financial Consequences for Polish Airports—Selected Aspects

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has reduced the mobility of urban residents on an international level. Tourist air traffic was suspended as one of many activities. As a result, the aviation industry has suffered losses at various levels. In addition to carriers, airports are also suffering due to the effects of the pandemic. Their income comes mainly from charges for take-offs and landings of airplanes, passenger charges, and commercial and restaurant activity. In this paper, the authors attempt to estimate the level of losses incurred by six Polish airports in relation to passenger charges. Based on the data for the years 2015–2019, the forecasts of passenger flows for the year 2020 were estimated using the seasonality indicator method, the method of one-name period trends, and models of linear trends with seasonality. Research has shown that the total losses of the examined airports for the year 2020 amounted to approximately 290 million EUR, and these are losses resulting only from the lack of fees charged for servicing passengers at the airports.