Poland has moved forward with the Port Polska Warsaw airport project, a transport hub located roughly 25 miles west of the capital and now estimated at between US$33 billion and US$36 billion, making it one of the largest infrastructure programs anywhere in Europe. The scheme was previously known as Centralny Port Komunikacyjny, or CPK, and before that carried the working name Warsaw Solidarity Airport, though the underlying plan of pairing a greenfield international airport with a high speed rail spine has stayed consistent since it was first proposed in 2017. The development will span approximately 11.5 square miles and combine passenger terminals, cargo and logistics parks, business districts, express road links and a rail station built directly beneath the terminal building. A consortium led by Foster and Partners together with engineering firm Buro Happold has held the master architect role since winning the design competition, and their plans call for two parallel runways of roughly 2.3 miles each at opening, with land reserved for two more should demand justify further expansion. Preparatory construction activity is scheduled to begin this autumn, with piling work starting under the terminal foundations, and the government is targeting the end of 2032 for the airport’s first operational phase alongside the initial section of the Warsaw to Łódź high speed line. At launch the airport is expected to handle between 34 million and 40 million passengers annually, a figure planners say could climb to 65 million by 2060 and eventually to 100 million as the surrounding rail and road network matures.

Warsaw Airport Expansion Fits a Wider Central European Infrastructure Push

The renewed momentum behind Port Polska reflects a broader pattern across Central Europe, where governments are racing to build transport capacity that keeps pace with rising passenger demand and freight volumes without repeating the land constraints that now limit older Western European hubs. Warsaw’s existing Chopin Airport has for years operated close to capacity, and Polish officials have pointed to hubs such as Istanbul Airport, which was itself built from scratch on the outskirts of a major capital to escape a landlocked legacy site, as the closest comparison for what Port Polska is trying to achieve at a similar scale. We first reported on the project in 2023 under its former name, Warsaw Solidarity Airport, when cost estimates stood near US$10 billion and the opening target was 2028. Both figures have since shifted substantially as the scope expanded and inflation and design refinements pushed the budget toward its current US$36 billion ceiling, illustrating how quickly the economics of a multi decade transport program can move once construction procurement begins in earnest. The airport’s location along what will become a dense rail corridor connecting Warsaw, Łódź, Poznań, Kraków and Gdańsk also mirrors the logic behind high speed rail led growth strategies pursued elsewhere in the region, where planners increasingly treat aviation and rail investment as a single connected system rather than competing modes.

Port Polska Timeline and What Comes Next

Construction procurement has accelerated through 2026, with the state company Centralny Port Komunikacyjny overseeing a run of major tenders. A consortium led by the American firm Hill International was selected to act as general contract engineer for the airport in a deal reported at roughly 1.6 billion zloty, and Polish contractor Budimex was awarded an earlier contract to build the terminal foundations. Five consortia comprising sixteen construction companies have submitted bids to build the roughly 450,000 square meter passenger terminal, with a contract award expected around the turn of 2026 into 2027 and main construction targeted for completion by the end of 2031 ahead of testing and certification in 2032. Parallel tenders are underway for around 90 kilometers of access roads and for the first stretch of the Warsaw to Łódź high speed rail line, with contracts for the rail work expected to be signed in 2027. Open questions remain around the pace of land acquisition along the rail corridor and the scale of debt versus public financing needed to sustain a program of this size through the next five years, though officials have framed the airport as a long term bet on positioning Poland as a logistics and passenger gateway between Western Europe and markets further east.

Project Fact Sheet

• Project Name: Port Polska Warsaw Airport (formerly CPK, formerly Warsaw Solidarity Airport)
• Location: Approximately 25 miles west of Warsaw, Poland
• Project Value: Estimated at US$33 billion to US$36 billion, per project reporting
• Client/Owner: Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK), Polish state owned company
• Main Contractor: General contract engineer role awarded to a Hill International led consortium; terminal contractor to be selected from five shortlisted consortia
• Key Components: Passenger terminal, two initial runways, underground high speed rail station, access roads, cargo and logistics parks
• Procurement Model: Phased public tenders and competitive dialogue managed by CPK
• Construction Start: Preparatory works and piling beginning autumn 2026
• Expected Completion: First operational phase by end of 2032
• Environmental/Social Features: Integrated rail and road access designed to reduce reliance on car travel and cut noise related constraints seen at older airports
• Strategic Impact: Positions Poland as a passenger and cargo gateway linking Central Europe to global markets

Project Team

• Client/Owner: Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK)
• Master Architect Consortium: Foster + Partners and Buro Happold
• General Contract Engineer: Hill International led consortium
• Foundations Contractor: Budimex
• Government Body: Polish Ministry of Infrastructure

Frequently Asked Questions

How much will the Port Polska Warsaw airport cost? The project is currently estimated at between US$33 billion and US$36 billion, covering the airport, high speed rail and connecting road infrastructure.

When will the Port Polska Warsaw airport open? The first operational phase is targeted for the end of 2032, alongside the first section of the Warsaw to Łódź high speed rail line.

Who is building the Port Polska Warsaw airport? CPK is overseeing construction, with a Hill International led consortium acting as general contract engineer and Budimex handling the terminal foundations; the main terminal contractor is still being selected.

How many passengers will the Port Polska Warsaw airport handle? The airport will open with capacity for 34 million to 40 million passengers annually, rising to a projected 65 million by 2060 and up to 100 million longer term.

Was Port Polska previously known by a different name? Yes, the project was originally proposed as Warsaw Solidarity Airport and later renamed Centralny Port Komunikacyjny, or CPK, before adopting the Port Polska name.