Warsaw Chopin Airport runway closed after cracks found, repairs completed overnight
A routine inspection at Warsaw Chopin Airport on Sunday revealed minor cracks on one runway, forcing its closure. Repairs were carried out overnight and the runway reopened Monday morning, with only minor delays expected.
Incident detection
On Sunday, 28 June, a routine inspection of runways at Warsaw Chopin Airport uncovered "minor cracks" on one of the two operational runways. The runway was immediately closed for safety reasons, and all air traffic was shifted to the second runway.
Minor cracks appeared on the runway. For safety reasons, we cannot allow such a situation; the surface must be even and smooth.
Impact on flights
The airport continued to operate using its remaining runway. Spokesman Piotr Rudzki noted that while some minor delays were possible, the second runway ensured that operations were not severely disrupted. The airport is the largest in Poland, handling 24 million passengers in 2025.
Repair process
Repair work was scheduled for the night from Sunday to Monday. High daytime temperatures posed a challenge because the sealing mass used to fill the cracks needed to set. Airport services cooled the runway with water during the day to lower the surface temperature.
We are waiting for temperatures to drop because the sealing mass needs to set.
- Cracks detected during routine inspection; runway closed for safety.
- Repair work begins overnight using sealing mass; runway cooled with water during day.
- Runway reopens after successful repairs; operations return to normal.
Reopening
By Monday morning, the repairs were successfully completed. Rudzki confirmed that the runway was operational again from the early hours. The airport returned to normal two-runway operations, with no further delays reported.
Repair work was carried out overnight and the runway has been operational since morning.
Airport background
Warsaw Chopin Airport is the busiest airport in Poland and one of the largest in Central and Eastern Europe. In 2025 it served 24 million passengers, up from 21.3 million in 2024. During the summer season, passengers can fly to 142 destinations with carriers including LOT, Lufthansa, Wizz Air, Air France, Emirates, KLM, SAS and British Airways.
