The Chopin Airfield Revolution. any of the flights will go to Modlin and Radom

The government is preparing to introduce crucial changes in the organisation of air traffic in the Warsaw agglomeration. Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and lawyer of the Government for the Central Communication Port, Maciej Lasek, announced the resumption of work on the concept of administrative division of air traffic. In practice, this means that part of the flights previously operated by Chopin Airport can be transferred to Modlin and Radom ports. This is simply a strategical decision that aims to unload the increasing piston at the largest airport in Poland before it is thoroughly upgraded.

This decision, although referred to as temporary, will have a direct impact on millions of passengers and on airline activities. The Ministry of Infrastructure is already conducting preliminary discussions with carriers, and the European Commission's approval is simply a key condition for the success of the operation. This process is complicated and requires ensuring that no of the airlines – either conventional or low-cost – will be favoured. For travellers, this means the possible request to change plans and travel to another airport, which will surely trigger a broad discussion on the future of air travel from the capital.

No more bandwidth on the Okęcie? Government is looking for an urgent solution

The main driving force behind the planned changes is the critical capacity situation at Chopin Airport. Although the number of air operations has only late returned to levels before the pandemic, the number of passengers is expanding at an avalanche rate. In 2023 the Warsaw port served record 21.3 million travelers. This increase is due to the fact that airlines are utilizing expanding aircraft, which creates a immense burden on terminal infrastructure.

Deputy Minister Maciej Lasek stresses that Okęcie is approaching the limit of his capabilities. Terminals, ticket and baggage check-in stations and safety checks at highest hours already operate at the limit of capacity. Further uncontrolled growth could lead to operational paralysis, delays and a drastic decline in passenger comfort. In this context, the government considered that immediate action was needed to let for a "burden" Chopin until his comprehensive modernization is complete. The administrative division of traffic is seen as the fastest way to manage the crisis and supply liquidity to the full aviation strategy in central Poland.

The thought is not fresh – it was analysed a fewer years ago, but the work was suspended. Now, in the face of evidence statistics, the Ministry of Infrastructure returns to this concept with full determination, treating it as a essential remedy.

Administrative traffic distribution. What does that mean for passengers?

The concept of "administrative traffic sharing" may be complicated, but in practice it boils down to circumstantial regulations imposed by the State. The government, erstwhile authorised by the European Commission, could find which types of flights or carriers must operate from circumstantial airports. This means that airlines would not have full freedom to choose the port from which they want to fly within the Warsaw agglomeration.

What are the scenarios? There are respective possibilities:

• Geographical breakdown: Flights to circumstantial regions of Europe or the planet could be assigned to the Prayer or Radom.
• Distribution by carrier type: The government could decide that all low-cost or charter lines gotta decision their operations from Okęcie.
• Mixed division: A combination of the above criteria, taking into account both the airline’s direction and business model.

Key, as Deputy Minister Lasek points out, is ensuring equal treatment for all carriers. The solution cannot be discriminatory. Preliminary talks with airlines indicate a "understanding" for these actions, but the final position of carriers will depend on the details of the proposal. For a passenger, this means 1 thing: a ticket purchased for a flight from Warsaw can in future mean departure from Radom or Modlin. This will require more attention from travellers erstwhile booking and planning to arrive at the airport.

When will change take effect? Timetable for ministry activities

Although the government's plans are advanced, changes will not take place overnight. The process is complex and requires many formal steps. Currently, analytical work is ongoing in the civilian Aviation Department of the Ministry of Infrastructure. The expert squad shall prepare an authoritative proposal to be submitted to the European Commission. Obtaining Brussels' approval is crucial, as EU rules mostly advance free competition and freedom of choice for air carriers.

According to Vice Minister Maciej Laska, specific decisions and a detailed implementation agenda may be announced at the end of 2025. Only then will we find out which airlines and which connections will be covered by the fresh regulations. This time will be utilized for further consultations with the aviation manufacture and for preparing ports in Modlin and Radom for the adoption of increased traffic.

It should be stressed that the planned distribution of traffic is to have provisional nature. Its aim is only to guarantee operational stableness until the completion of the major modernization of Chopin Airport, which is expected to take respective years. This is simply a bridge solution to let us to last the most hard period before Okęcie has fresh operational capabilities.

Modernization for PLN 1.6 billion and the function of CPK. What future awaits Okęta?

Parallel to traffic distribution plans, the Management Board of Polish Airports (PPL), which has been part of the CPK Group since April 2023, is preparing for a immense investment. For modernization Chopin Airport is intended impressive amount of PLN 1.6 billion. The main component of the task will be the extension of the terminal by the alleged confederate pirs. This investment will importantly increase the number of parking positions for aircraft, both in the Schengen area and Non-Schengen.

The nonsubjective of modernisation is to increase port capacity to the level up to 30 million passengers per year. The tender for the contractor is already in preparation and the construction works themselves are due to begin in 2026. The completion of the investment is planned for the summertime period in 2029. This modernisation is intended to solve the piston problem in Okęcie in the long term.

All these actions are part of a broader strategy of the government, whose eventual aim is to launch the Central Communication Port in Baranów. The upgraded Chopin Airport is expected to execute its function until the CPK is ready to take over the function of Poland's main aviation hub. After beginning the CPK, commercial traffic from Okęcia will be extinguished. The planned division of traffic and subsequent modernization are so 2 stages of 1 large plan of transformation of the Polish sky.