9 5 , ▁the ▁entire ▁apr on ▁was ▁modern ized . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁the ▁air port ' s ▁name ▁was ▁changed ▁from ▁Krak ów – Bal ice ▁Airport ▁to ▁John ▁Paul ▁II ▁International ▁Airport ▁Krak ów – Bal ice , ▁to ▁honor ▁Pope ▁John ▁Paul ▁II , ▁who ▁spent ▁many ▁years ▁of ▁his ▁life ▁in ▁Krak ów ▁and ▁had ▁served ▁as ▁Arch bishop ▁of ▁Krak ów ▁from ▁ 1 9 6 3 ▁until ▁his ▁elev ation ▁to ▁the ▁Pap acy ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 . ▁For ▁market ing ▁reasons , ▁the ▁official ▁name ▁was ▁further ▁" stream lined " ▁on ▁ 4 ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁as ▁Krak ów ▁Airport ▁im . ▁J ana ▁P aw ła ▁II . ▁ ▁Development ▁since ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 s ▁The ▁air port ▁was ▁modern ized ▁once ▁more ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁and ▁since ▁then ▁new ▁international ▁connections ▁have ▁been ▁established . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁when ▁Irish ▁low - cost ▁car rier ▁Ryan air ▁became ▁interested ▁in ▁starting ▁a ▁service ▁from ▁the ▁John ▁Paul ▁II ▁International ▁Airport , ▁the ▁air port ▁authorities ▁refused ▁to ▁reduce ▁the ▁landing ▁fe es . ▁In ▁response , ▁the ▁regional ▁authorities ▁of ▁Krak ów ▁and ▁L esser ▁Poland ▁Vo iv odes hip ▁decided ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁new ▁air port ▁near ▁the ▁existing ▁one , ▁using ▁the ▁infrastr ucture ▁of ▁the ▁military ▁air base ▁adjacent ▁to ▁the ▁shared ▁run way . ▁Finally ▁an