Local residents oppose new Central Airport

Local residents of Baranów voted against the construction of the Central Airport in their community in the Sunday referendum. With 82.8 percent votes against and 17.2 percent for. They also rejected the settlement conditions proposed by the government to the residents in connection to the airport’s construction. In total 47 percent of residents took part in the referendum. According to the Act on the local referendum, it is valid if at least 30 percent of those entitled to vote took part in it. “We are not surprised by the results of the referendum in the Baranów commune and we approach them with humility. We are aware of the level of emotions among residents,” said Mikołaj Wild, the government proxy for the construction of the Central Airport. He added that the government will continue its efforts to convince the local population to change their minds. “We have held over 100 conversations there, which shows that the vast majority of residents are open to the dialogue that we propose,” he said. They’ll also set up a special council in the coming months which will include local government representatives and all those who are interested in building the Central Airport. The airport is planned to become operational by 2027 and will handle up to 100 million passengers per year.