Poland an aviation giant? The opening date of the new port and record amounts have been announced
Polish airports are entering a phase of intensive investments that are intended to increase their capacity and prepare the infrastructure for further dynamic growth in traffic. As indicated by the president of Polish Airports, over PLN 50 billion is to be allocated for this purpose in the coming years. The largest projects include the modernization of Chopin Airport in Warsaw, the expansion of the airport in Kraków and preparations for the launch of a new central airport as part of the Port Polska project.
PLN 50 billion for investments
– There are many challenges for airports and the entire industry, but we start with infrastructure. The appetite for flying is growing, demand is growing, and this means the need to expand infrastructure that will be efficient and able to respond to passenger demand – says Łukasz Chaberski, president of Polish Airports, to the Newseria news agency.
– That is why virtually all airports in Poland are conducting or preparing investment processes. In this respect, over PLN 50 billion in Poland will be allocated for this purpose in the coming years. At Chopin Airport itself, PLN 940 million will go to modernization so that we can serve over 30 million passengers already in 2029. Also in other ports, for example in Krakow, we have an investment plan of PLN 4.2 billion.
Last year showed the scale of the potential of the domestic market. In 2025, Polish airports served a total of over 66.2 million passengers, growing by 14.4%. year on year, which is more than three times faster than the European average of 4.4%. (ACI Europe data).
Over 63 percent of all traffic was at regional airports, which handled 41.9 million travelers. The leaders included Kraków, Katowice, Gdańsk, Wrocław and Poznań, which recorded at least double-digit increases. The airports managed by PPL – Chopin Airport, Warsaw-Radom and Zielona Góra-Babimost – served a total of 24.2 million passengers. The capital airport itself ended the year with a record result of over 24 million passengers, which means an increase of over 13%. year to year. The cargo result was also the highest in history – 137,000 were handled. t means an increase of 17 percent. year to year.
We plan to have 30 million passengers a year
The modernization of the Warsaw airport is primarily intended to increase its capacity and improve passenger service comfort. This is a response to the rapid increase in traffic, which already significantly exceeds the assumptions according to which the terminal was designed.
– The modernization that is already underway is primarily aimed at absorbing over 30 million passengers a year – emphasizes Łukasz Chaberski.
– Without this modernization, we would have irreversibly lost over 32 million passengers who simply would not have been checked in here. According to the data we have and the methodology of the International Airports Council, this would mean over PLN 32 billion in lost catalytic impact on the economy. This undertaking also has deep strategic justification, because without these passengers, the new project, Port Polska, which will open in 2032, would have a much smaller passenger base from the beginning and would be less profitable.
Passengers will feel the changes most quickly in the terminal and during security checks. Polish Airports announce that some of the amenities will be visible already this year.
– The passenger will notice mainly two elements with the naked eye. Firstlyexpansion of the southern pier by 300 m, thanks to which we will gain new contact points, i.e. bridges, and we will be able to serve passengers more efficiently – explains the president of PPL. – An increase in the terminal area is needed not only to make it more comfortable, but also safe. The infrastructure we use today was planned for approximately 15 million passengers, and last year we served over 24 million. Secondlywe are gradually replacing security control devices with the latest C3 class devices. They will allow passengers not to remove electronics from their hand luggage and to carry larger volumes of liquids. However, the most important thing for us is that the capacity increases almost twice, which allows for much better passenger service.
The changes will also cover areas that are less visible to travelers, but are crucial from the point of view of the airport's operational efficiency. This includes: o expansion of parking aprons for the largest aircraft and the baggage handling system.
– What the passenger sees on the carousel when collecting baggage is just a fragment of the entire, very complicated system that must manage many thousands of bags per hour – emphasizes Łukasz Chaberski. – We are a hub airport, so getting your luggage to the right place on time is crucial to ensure there are no delays and flights run smoothly.
The investments are intended to respond to the long-term trend that places Poland among the fastest-growing aviation markets in Europe. Forecasts prepared for PPL show that in 2026, Polish airports can serve a total of 73.3 million passengers, and in 2033, when the Port of Poland will start operating – about 95 million. The symbolic barrier of 100 million travelers is to be exceeded in 2035. Long-term forecasts for 2060 assume a level of up to 172 million travelers. The cargo segment is also expected to grow dynamically and, according to forecasts, it may reach 1 million tonnes of transshipment around 2041, and by 2060 it will increase to 1.68 million tonnes.
