Wersja językowa
en

CPK Airport construction project completed. Construction to begin in 2026.

The architectural consortium, serving as the Master Architect, has delivered the construction design for the new airport, railway station, and public transport interchange hub to the CPK company. The design acceptance process has begun and is expected to be completed by the end of this year. The opening of the first phase of the airport is planned for the end of 2032.

Construction to begin in 2026.

Under the Ministry of Infrastructure, we are advancing the updated CPK project, crucial for Poland. Building permit drawings are ready for submission, and design work is nearly complete,

says Dariusz Klimczak, Minister of Infrastructure.

This is another milestone in the construction and launch of the new airport. This investment will drive Poland’s economic growth and strengthen the market position of the national carrier, LOT Polish Airlines,

says Maciej Lasek, Government Commissioner for CPK.

The atrium serves as a shared transfer area for passengers of the airport, train, and bus services. Source: Foster + Partners

The designed area of the passenger terminal is approximately 450,000 square metres. Passenger services will be distributed across three levels:

Level +2: Ticket and baggage check-in, security screening, Schengen zone arrivals and departures, and some Non-Schengen arrivals.

Level +1: Non-Schengen zone arrivals and departures, transfer centers, and passport control.

Level 0: Schengen and Non-Schengen bus gates, baggage claim hall, and arrivals hall.

The main building will be connected to the piers, allowing passengers to reach the aircraft directly. In the first stage of implementation, the airport will be capable of handling approximately 11,000 passengers per hour. On the opening day, there will be nearly 140 check-in and baggage drop counters inside, with space reserved for the installation of an additional check-in island, increasing the number of counters to 170.

As previously announced, we are consistently taking the next steps in preparing for the construction of the new airport. We have received the construction documentation from the designer, which includes approximately 6,250 design drawings and over 50 reports. Right now, a thorough verification of the documentation is underway,

said Dr. Filip Czernicki, CEO of CPK.

The CPK master architect consortium consists of the tender-winning design studios Foster + Partners and Buro Happold, along with over 30 other companies from various sectors, including NACO, Kuryłowicz & Associates, and Cundall. In total, nearly 500 designers have contributed to the multidisciplinary design of the terminal, railway station, and bus station.

The CPK investment presents a truly unique opportunity to design an entirely new airport from scratch. Our goal was to create accessible, intuitive, and passenger-friendly infrastructure that ensures comfort, short transfer times, and a positive travel experience. Our design is focused on passengers and their needs,

said Grant Brooker, Head of Studio at Foster + Partners.

In July 2023, the CPK company received the architectural concept for the airport from the contractor, marking the transition from stage III to stage IV of the design process, which involves the development of the construction design. Compared to stage III, design optimisations were introduced to the project in agreement with the investor, resulting in a reduction in the project’s required direct construction cost.

In the first stage, the northern pier (on the right) and the central piers will be constructed. The timeline for building the southern pier depends on traffic forecasts. Source: Foster + Partners

These optimisations include shortening the piers by approximately 100 metres to reduce walking distances for passengers, facilitate transfers, and decrease the volume of the building.

According to updated project assumptions, in the first phase, the CPK Airport will have a capacity of up to approximately 34 million passengers annually, with the possibility of further expansion. For comparison, Chopin Airport handled around 18.5 million passengers in 2023.

As part of the phased construction of CPK, the initial implementations will include the northern pier (B) for long-haul flights to the Non-Schengen countries, and the central piers (C and D), which will have flexible functionality to accommodate flights to both Schengen and Non-Schengen zones.

Building Permit documentation has been prepared for the southern pier (E), planned for a subsequent phase (subject to review based on continuously updated traffic forecasts). In later phases of the airport’s expansion, additional piers will be built: the northeastern pier (A) and the southeastern pier (F).

The Plaza, which is the square in front of the terminal and railway station, will provide access to Airport City. Source: Foster + Partners

Phase I of the project envisions 27 dedicated contact stands for narrow-body aircraft and 23 contact stands for wide-body aircraft, including 18 MARS-type flexible stands that allow for the interchangeable positioning of either two narrow-body aircraft or one wide-body aircraft.

A total of 50 to 68 aircraft, depending on the fleet type, will be able to be accommodated at contact stands equipped with boarding bridges. This will significantly enhance passenger comfort and increase capacity.

For comparison, Chopin Airport can simultaneously handle only eight wide-body aircraft at contact stands, with a total capacity to handle 22 to 27 aircraft at all stands equipped with boarding bridges.

Additionally, in consultation with the investor, changes were made to the roof structures of the airport terminal and the train and bus stations as part of the optimisation process during the fourth design stage.

Additionally, in agreement with the investor, changes were made to the roof structure of the airport terminal and the railway and bus stations during the IV stage of the design process.

Compared to the concept design, the master architect proposed finishing the roof vaults with warm materials, improving the comfort of passengers including acoustic conditions and aesthetics of the building. In addition, the number and location of the skylights were reduced.

Instead of a roof overhanging the front of the terminal, as outlined in the concept design, the architects have proposed a column-supported arcade to offer improved weather protection for the entrances. This modification to the main load-bearing elements results in a reduction in the amount of steel required for the structure.

The CPK terminal design incorporates the integration of multiple modes of transport – air, rail, and bus. The investor anticipates that up to half of the passengers will travel to the airport by train.

The underground railway station at CPK next to the terminal. Up to half of the passengers may arrive at the airport by train. Source: Foster + Partners.

At the request of CPK, designers have enhanced in the design the comfort of bus station users. Following these adjustments, the waiting area for long-distance buses is now directly connected to the railway station building, easing passenger movement.

Both the canopies of the bus stands and the waiting area are designed to be modularly extendable in the future.

Long-haul bus boarding areas. The waiting area connected to the railway station building. Source: Foster + Partners.

Foster + Partners, the leader of the Master Architect consortium, has previously designed airports in Beijing and Hong Kong, among others, and has also been responsible for the concept masterplan for  Terminal 2 at Heathrow Airport in London. It is currently involved in the construction of airports in Kuwait and Cambodia, and is now, together with NACO and Buro Happold, engaged in the design of, among other projects, King Salman Airport in Riyadh.

In addition to the work of the Master Architect, other design activities are also underway at CPK and are being closely coordinated.

 The company Dar, part of the Sidara group based in Dubai and serving as the general designer for civil engineering at CPK (Master Civil Engineer), is finalizing the conceptual documentation for, among other things, runways, taxiways, parking aprons, and parts of airport access roads along with the technical buildings in their vicinity. Additionally, it is developing the construction project for the railway tunnel beneath the airport.

Design documentation for the support facilities is also in progress. Within this set of projects, JSK Architekci is at an advanced stage of designing the air traffic control tower, while a consortium of AKE Studio, APA, and Tequm is working on the design of the rescue and firefighting service buildings.

Documentation for the so-called supporting facilities (Support Infrastructure Engineering) is also in development. As part of this project pool, the firm JSK Architekci is conducting advanced work on the design of the air traffic control tower, while the consortium of AKE Studio, APA, and Tequm is working on the designs for the fire and rescue service buildings.

In addition, CPK signed a contract with a consortium of PIG Architects and GMT for the design of the Airport Operations Control Centre.

The commercial area of the terminal in the central piers region. Source: Foster + Partners.

Simultaneously, a competitive dialogue procedure is underway for the design, supply, installation, and commissioning of a Baggage Handling System (BHS). The modern baggage sorting facility will feature over 11 km of conveyor belts. The system is designed to ensure the reliable and swift transport of baggage, particularly transfer baggage, while minimising the time required to deliver baggage upon arrival.

CPK expects to obtain a location decision from the Mazovian Voivode by the end of 2024, after which it will be possible to apply for a construction permit for the airport.

Currently, the investor is continuing demolition work, tree removal, and relocations of utilities on the site under preparatory works. This work is being carried out on land acquired through the Voluntary Land Acquisition Programme (PDN).

According to the updated schedule, the new airport is planned to become operational by the end of 2032, coinciding with the opening of the Warsaw-CPK-Łódź section of the new High-Speed Rail line.

Watch the video visualisation of the CPK airport

News