Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK) Airport—a landmark project that could change Poland’s position within the European air travel market—got some positive news in mid-June when it was announced that the Minister of Infrastructure approved the General Plan (part of the master plan), one of the key documents necessary for the foundation of the ambitious CPK multi-modal hub.

The document sets out the development plan for the new airport until the end of 2060 and its approval was a requirement for the formal application to found the Airport. CPK said it would apply to Poland’s Civil Aviation Authority (ULC) in the coming days.

Permission from the ULC would then allow CPK to apply for a location decision. The project managers are currently awaiting a decision related to environmental impacts and both will need to be positive before an application for a construction permit can go ahead.

Local Feelers Have Gone Out

Before the application for the approval of CPK General Plan 2022-2060 was submitted to the minister, consultation had already taken place with the authorities of 13 municipalities in the area when the project is planned. They are in the Mazowieckie and Łódzkie provinces between Warsaw (the capital) and Łódź.

It appears that the president of the ULC, as well as Ministers of National Défense (MON), are also in favor of the new gateway. The government's plenipotentiary for CPK and Deputy Minister of Funds and Regional Policy, Marcin Horała, commented: “The approved General Plan is a confirmation of the fundamental assumptions of the project. This is very good news in the context of the already advanced process of selecting a financial partner that can take a minority stake in the company operating the airport.”

The approval is also in line with Poland's transport policy and consistent with government strategies for responsible infrastructure development, and transport development in particular. CEO of CPK, Mikołaj Wild, said: “The approval completed our planning phase. We have met the rigorous standards required for the construction of a new airport. I would like to thank my team, without whose hard work achieving this important milestone would not have been possible.”

Moving to the Next Stage

The General Plan sets out the next steps in the development of the airport until the end of 2060, the time horizon of aviation forecasts for Poland from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

The first phase starting in 2028 (the expected year in which the airport will be operational) envisages two parallel runways, infrastructure for approximately 330,000 aircraft operations (take-offs and landings) per year, and a terminal capable of handling 40 million passengers annually.

In this phase, the airport will cover around 2,150 hectares, and CPK company is currently intensively buying up the required land. A voluntary acquisition program has, so far, enrolled 80% of the developed property. However, signed purchase contracts cover an area of only 450 hectares, with another 100 hectares awaiting notarial deeds. Over 1,000 hectares are said to be “in advanced negotiations.”

Infrastructure development is spread over a number of phases and stages, and is dependent on forecasts. The second phase covers the period up to 2060, by which time the airport may have three parallel runways (depending on demand), infrastructure for around 450,000 aircraft operations, and a terminal capable of processing 65 million passengers per year.

The second phase is a long-term plan for the development of CPK and, in accordance with rules and regulations, will be included in planning documents at the provincial, county, and municipal levels.

In addition to the progressive purchase of properties through voluntary acquisition CPK-funded relocation and deconstruction works are also underway. The scope of this activity will increase once CPK has received the environmental decision on the project. This application is currently being reviewed by the Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection in Warsaw.

At the same time, advanced design work is being carried out by, among others, the British design group Foster+Partners (the master architect), and the Lebanese design company Dar Al-Handasah (the master civil engineer). A tender is currently underway for the design of the air traffic control tower which will be, by some distance, the tallest in Poland.

The tender includes nine companies and four design consortia with whom CPK signed a framework agreement for the design of the airport’s Support Infrastructure Engineering (SIE) facilities at the end of 2022. As part of this contract, in addition to the traffic control tower, the following will also be designed: the airport operations center; the rescue and firefighting services buildings; the airport maintenance and management building; and the airport services offices.