“We need a great airport in the heart of Europe,” President Andrzej Duda said on the 20th anniversary of Poland’s EU accession in a speech in Poznań, after receiving the Lech Kaczyński statuette awarded to him by the Academic Civic Club. This comes as Polish Airports (PPL) reported the expansion of the Warsaw Chopin Airport, which according to opposition parties means the suspension of the construction of the Central Communication Port (CPK).
Duda stressed the importance of bolstering the Polish economy as the primary challenge for the next two decades within the EU. He noted that “there are no more important tasks for the Polish authorities today than sovereignty, independence, and security.”
The president further pointed out that Poland needs a large airport from which “it will be possible to fly to every corner of the world, where people will arrive to change from plane to plane and fly to other places. An airport from which it will later be possible to move on domestic connections to other, smaller domestic airports, or simply go to other towns and cities via high-speed rail.”
He noted that the realization of CPK is a fundamentally important task for the whole of Poland and for our future development.
Duda also mentioned the ongoing project to build a nuclear power plant in Poland, stating that it “will provide us (Poles) with access to safe, guaranteed energy that is also conducive to climate protection.”
Warsaw Chopin Airport expansion
On Monday, PPL revealed its decision to expand Warsaw’s Chopin Airport to a capacity of about 30 million passengers per year by 2029. According to CPK plenipotentiary Maciej Lasek, by 2035, it will become feasible to transfer all air traffic from Warsaw to the planned CPK airport in Baranów, central Poland.
Polish Airports plans to commence Chopin Airport construction works in 2026, with the complete utilization of the investment planned for the summer season of 2029. Additionally, projections suggest that the investment will be fully paid off by 2035. It was also highlighted that the modernization of Chopin Airport will offer opportunities for the growth of traditional carriers like LOT.
The president further pointed out that Poland needs a large airport from which “it will be possible to fly to every corner of the world, where people will arrive to change from plane to plane and fly to other places. An airport from which it will later be possible to move on domestic connections to other, smaller domestic airports, or simply go to other towns and cities via high-speed rail.”
He noted that the realization of CPK is a fundamentally important task for the whole of Poland and for our future development.
Duda also mentioned the ongoing project to build a nuclear power plant in Poland, stating that it “will provide us (Poles) with access to safe, guaranteed energy that is also conducive to climate protection.”
Warsaw Chopin Airport expansion
On Monday, PPL revealed its decision to expand Warsaw’s Chopin Airport to a capacity of about 30 million passengers per year by 2029. According to CPK plenipotentiary Maciej Lasek, by 2035, it will become feasible to transfer all air traffic from Warsaw to the planned CPK airport in Baranów, central Poland.
Polish Airports plans to commence Chopin Airport construction works in 2026, with the complete utilization of the investment planned for the summer season of 2029. Additionally, projections suggest that the investment will be fully paid off by 2035. It was also highlighted that the modernization of Chopin Airport will offer opportunities for the growth of traditional carriers like LOT.
However, according to opposition voices, the expansion of Warsaw’s airport would mean postponing the construction of the CPK project.
In a commentary for the Polish financial news website “money.pl”, Lasek said that “the CPK terminal is currently being designed, all airside infrastructure (runways and taxiways, hangars - ed.) is being designed, and all work is ongoing. I see no reason for such hysteria, except for the fact that some people seem to think otherwise,” he said.
According to a timetable proposed by the previous government, the CPK airport was slated for completion by 2028. On the other hand, the current PPL President, Andrzej Ilków, stated in an interview with “money.pl” that meeting this deadline would not be possible. He indicated that the new target for completing the construction of the CPK airport would be 2035.
Opposition voices
In a statement on Tuesday, referring to the construction of the Central Transportation Port, Law and Justice (PiS) party leader Jarosław Kaczyński stressed that “in practice, the decision has been made that CPK will not be built.”
He stressed that the expansion of Warsaw's airport falls short of Poland's potential, labeling it as merely a “modest airport.”
Kaczyński emphasized the significance of constructing CPK for the nation's future, citing its crucial role in fostering economic growth and ultimately mitigating Poland’s provincial status in the long term. Additionally, he underscored its military importance, envisioning it as a strategic location capable of accommodating heavy transport and combat aircraft landings.
In a commentary for the Polish financial news website “money.pl”, Lasek said that “the CPK terminal is currently being designed, all airside infrastructure (runways and taxiways, hangars - ed.) is being designed, and all work is ongoing. I see no reason for such hysteria, except for the fact that some people seem to think otherwise,” he said.
According to a timetable proposed by the previous government, the CPK airport was slated for completion by 2028. On the other hand, the current PPL President, Andrzej Ilków, stated in an interview with “money.pl” that meeting this deadline would not be possible. He indicated that the new target for completing the construction of the CPK airport would be 2035.
Opposition voices
In a statement on Tuesday, referring to the construction of the Central Transportation Port, Law and Justice (PiS) party leader Jarosław Kaczyński stressed that “in practice, the decision has been made that CPK will not be built.”
He stressed that the expansion of Warsaw's airport falls short of Poland's potential, labeling it as merely a “modest airport.”
Kaczyński emphasized the significance of constructing CPK for the nation's future, citing its crucial role in fostering economic growth and ultimately mitigating Poland’s provincial status in the long term. Additionally, he underscored its military importance, envisioning it as a strategic location capable of accommodating heavy transport and combat aircraft landings.
