Warsaw Chopin Airport expansion cleared for immediate start
The Regional Director for Environmental Protection (RDOS) in Warsaw has issued an environmental decision for the expansion of Warsaw Chopin Airport, granting it immediate enforceability, PPL, the state-owned airports authority, announced on Friday.
The decision formally opens the way for major modernisation projects at Poland's largest airport, including upgrading the passenger terminal and extending the southern pier. PPL described the environmental approval as a "crucial step" that will ultimately increase the airport's capacity to over 30 million passengers annually.
"Due to the strategic nature of the investment and important social and economic interests, RDOS granted the decision immediate enforceability," PPL wrote in a statement. "This allows Polish Airports [PPL], as the port manager, to proceed immediately to the next stages of project implementation."
Piotr Malepszak, deputy infrastructure minister and government commissioner for the new Port Polska mega-airport project, cited in the statement, said that the environmental approval is vital for preparing the airport for increased operations and passenger growth. "Modernising the capital's airport is a key element of our main task: to consistently build up air traffic so that it can be seamlessly transferred in the future to the new airport located 40 kilometres from Warsaw," he added.
PPL CEO Lukasz Chaberski said that the immediate enforceability status brings the Chopin Airport modernisation into its decisive phase. The company disclosed that five top European firms are currently working with PPL experts under a competitive dialogue framework to develop the best infrastructure solutions.
The modernisation project is valued at around PLN 940 million (EUR 218 million) and is slated for completion in 2029. Key upgrades include: increasing narrow-body aircraft stands by 34 percent, from 62 to 83; increasing wide-body aircraft stands by 60 percent, from 15 to 24; expanding total terminal floor space by 15 percent, from 165,000 to 189,115 square metres; demolishing the old 'Etiuda' terminal and relocating the VIP lounge.
Warsaw Chopin Airport is the largest airport in Poland and a major hub in Central and Eastern Europe, handling 24 million passengers in 2025 and 21.3 million the previous year. During the summer season, the airport offers connections to 142 destinations, hosting carriers such as LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Wizz Air, Air France, Emirates, KLM, SAS, and British Airways.
The capital's airport is scheduled to operate at full capacity until the opening of Port Polska, planned for 2032. At that time, all commercial passenger traffic will be transferred to the new facility. (PAP)
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