The idea of Radom airport functioning was, and still is, a little Kafkaesque. Even with the growth of the airport in the last months thanks to Sprint Air and their Saab 340 planes doesn't change it. After some time from opening and having no traffic, CSA Czech Airlines decided to commence flights to Radom. At first a non-stop flight. Later the flights were performed with a stop, either it was PRG-RDO-WAW-PRG, or via PRG-RDO-WAW-RDO-PRG, or PRG-OSR-RDO-OSR-PRG. That last option returned again after the first withdrawal of the flights and the return after a couple of months. We have a saying in Poland about something being like in a Czech movie, that is a very good metaphor for what was happening. All in all, I decided I had to be part of that farce before they close that thing down. I bought one of the strangest tickets of my life. A RDO-WAW via PRG. The distance between Radom and Warsaw is not that big, now it takes just over an hour to travel between the cities by car. But hey, what don't you do for the strange aviation things! RDO-OSR-PRG-WAW with 50 minutes to change planes in Prague. Sounds fun!
15 February 2016
OK25 (1440-1535/1555-1650) RDO-OSR-PRG
OK-KFO ATR42
Although the flight wasn't until after 2pm, wanting to be on the safe side of time I took a bus at 11am from Warsaw bound for Radom. After a solid breakfast at home and taking a couple of snacks for the road I boarded the bus. Arrived in Radom at 1245, now I only needed to find the bus for the airport. Yay, managed to do so and I arrive at the terminal having more than one hour until planned departure time. More than enough to get a souvenir boarding pass, a couple of pictures of the inside and outside of the terminal, but what next? Nothing, just have to wait. At that time the airport had a total of up to 3 flights per week. The Relay kiosk, two Costa Coffee stands and a Aelia Duty Free, are either open only 2h prior departure or not at all (Aelia has never opened at that time). As it later was easy to count, there was a total of 13 passengers on the first leg (RDO-OSR). During the stop in Ostrava we managed to get up to a total of 35 for the leg to Prague. The weather wasn't exactly pleasant during most of the flight. Not much sun visible. Only after leaving Ostrava did it come out. A summary of both flights available at the bottom.
15 February 2016
OK25 (1440-1535/1555-1650) RDO-OSR-PRG
OK-KFO ATR42
Although the flight wasn't until after 2pm, wanting to be on the safe side of time I took a bus at 11am from Warsaw bound for Radom. After a solid breakfast at home and taking a couple of snacks for the road I boarded the bus. Arrived in Radom at 1245, now I only needed to find the bus for the airport. Yay, managed to do so and I arrive at the terminal having more than one hour until planned departure time. More than enough to get a souvenir boarding pass, a couple of pictures of the inside and outside of the terminal, but what next? Nothing, just have to wait. At that time the airport had a total of up to 3 flights per week. The Relay kiosk, two Costa Coffee stands and a Aelia Duty Free, are either open only 2h prior departure or not at all (Aelia has never opened at that time). As it later was easy to count, there was a total of 13 passengers on the first leg (RDO-OSR). During the stop in Ostrava we managed to get up to a total of 35 for the leg to Prague. The weather wasn't exactly pleasant during most of the flight. Not much sun visible. Only after leaving Ostrava did it come out. A summary of both flights available at the bottom.
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| The main entrance visible on the left |
