New rival for Chopin

Ineco-Seber has said Mszczonów's central location, 45km from the capital, and the existing and planned transport infrastructure between Warsaw and Łódź make it the best location for an international airport. The company was commissioned to evaluate the best location for the new terminal, and looked at seven possible sites.

A group consisting of representatives of the Civil Aviation Office (ULC), Polish Airports (PPL), Polish carrier Lot and the Ministry of Transport and Construction have analyzed the report and now the Ministries of Transport and Construction will evaluate the analysis and present it to the Polish Council of Ministers.

According to ULC, in 2030 all Polish airports will serve over 60 million passengers. The new airport could serve up to 50 million passengers, and last year Warsaw's Chopin served over seven million flyers.

The Ministry of Transport and Construction said that now it's crucial to estimate the capacity of Chopin Airport. Krzysztof Kapis, a former president of ULC and the current president of Lot, agrees. "The investment in progress will enable us to serve about 12 million passengers per annum. The current investment might allow for 14-15 million passengers. We also have to answer the question of whether, despite the extension, the number of passengers will exceed the capacity of the airport and when," he says.

"If the [national] airport is constructed the analysis recommends closing Chopin airport," says Eugeniusz Wróbel, Deputy Minister of Transport and Construction.