Warsaw Chopin Airport opens 194 million PLN apron to add six aircraft stands

New apron commissioned

Warsaw Chopin Airport officially opened a new 60,000 square metre aircraft parking apron on Thursday, 1 October 2026. The 194 million PLN infrastructure project adds six parking stands for airplanes at Poland's largest airport. According to Polish Airports (PPL), the new infrastructure enables the Warsaw hub to accommodate approximately 13,000 additional aircraft movements each year. Operating at full capacity, this expansion allows the facility to serve approximately 1.8 million additional passengers annually. Constructing the apron required extensive physical materials, with crews laying more than 165,000 tonnes of aggregate and pouring 32,000 cubic metres of concrete, an amount equivalent to the volume of 13 Olympic swimming pools.

Capacity pressures and winter operations

PPL CEO Łukasz Chaberski noted that the apron is the first investment at Chopin Airport in 12 years that substantially increases operational capacity. In addition to creating new parking positions, the apron improves airfield efficiency by expanding the airport's aircraft de-icing throughput by 20% during the autumn and winter flight seasons. Polish Minister of Infrastructure Dariusz Klimczak attended the commissioning ceremony, pointing to acute space shortages across the terminal and airside zones as passenger demand continues to climb.

The airport in Warsaw is bursting at the seams. The demand for new space is so great that we could no longer wait with this investment.

Modernization program through 2029

Airport authorities are managing the expansion as part of a phased modernization program designed to support carrier operations through the end of the decade. PPL plans to conclude the complete upgrade package in 2029, at which point Chopin Airport will feature 108 aircraft parking stands and the capacity to process more than 30 million passengers per year. The investments aim to prevent operational bottlenecks and provide adequate operating conditions for Poland's flag carrier, LOT Polish Airlines, as well as foreign airlines serving the capital. Chaberski emphasized the coordinated nature of these upgrades across airside infrastructure.

The individual elements that we are improving form a single whole, a whole tied to the modernization of Chopin Airport.

Bridge to Port Polska in 2032

Chopin Airport remains a primary aviation hub in Central and Eastern Europe, handling 24 million passengers in 2025 after recording 21.3 million passengers in 2024. During the summer schedule, travelers can reach 142 destinations on carriers such as LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Wizz Air, Air France, Emirates, KLM, SAS, and British Airways. Polish officials intend to keep Chopin Airport operating at full scale while preparations continue for the Central Communication Port under the Port Polska project. All commercial passenger traffic is scheduled to transfer to the new central hub when it enters service in 2032.

Until the new airport is commissioned, several years remain, during which passenger needs must be met and conditions for the growth of LOT Polish Airlines ensured.

Klimczak added that early development work is vital to maintain stability ahead of the transition.

So that we can approach the issues related to the new airport with certainty in the early 2030s, we must carry out these activities today.