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Airport Warsaw (Poland) - Frederic Chopin

For the airport near the town of Warsaw, New York, United States, see Perry-Warsaw Airport.
Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport
Port Lotniczy im. Fryderyka Chopina

IATA: WAW ICAO: EPWA
Summary
Airport type civil, military
Operator Polish Airports State Enterprise (PPL)
Serves Warsaw
Location Okcie district of Warsaw
Elevation AMSL 110 m / 362 ft
Coordinates 52°0957N 020°5802E / 52.16583, 20.96722
Website www.lotnisko-chopina.pl
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
11/29 2,800 9,186 Asphalt
15/33 3,689 12,106 Asphalt
Statistics (2007 [1])
Passengers 9,268,551
Passenger growth 06-07 +14.4%

Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport (Polish: Port Lotniczy im. Fryderyka Chopina) (IATA: WAW, ICAO: EPWA) is an international airport located in the Okcie district of Warsaw, Poland. Formerly Okcie International Airport, it is named after the famous Polish composer and former Warsaw resident, Frédéric Chopin. It is Poland's busiest airport, handling just under 50% of the country's air passenger traffic.[1]

The former name, lotnisko Okcie (Okcie airport), remains in common use, including air traffic and aerodrome references.

Warsaw Airport handles approximately 100 scheduled flights daily and an ever rising number of charters. London, Frankfurt, Paris and Amsterdam are the busiest international connections, while Kraków, Wrocaw and Gdask are the most popular domestic ones.[2]

Contents

History

In 1924, when urban development around Warsaw's aerodrome at Pole Mokotowskie began affecting air traffic, the Ministry of Railways purchased land near the village of Okcie to construct a new airport. In 1933, The Central Airport (Okcie) took over the handling of all traffic from the Pole Mokotowskie. During World War II, Okcie was often used as a battleground between the German army and Polish resistance and was practically destroyed. After liberation, LOT Polish Airlines resumed operations at Okcie, using pre-war infrastructure. In 1956, maintenance of Okcie was transferred from LOT Polish Airlines to state administration. In 1969 a new international terminal was built to handle 1 million passengers annually. Meanwhile, domestic flights continued to operate from the facilities built on the site of the pre-war terminal. In 1992, a new Terminal, with capacity for an annual 3.5 million passengers, was built to replace the aging post-war terminal. In March 2001, Warsaw Airport was renamed in honour of the Polish pianist Frederic Chopin (though this name is almost never used in practice, and most users know the place simply as Okcie). Since the end of March 2007, the overcrowded Etiuda Terminal has been used for departing passengers on low-cost carriers. Constructed at the end of the 1990s, the terminal was expected to handle 3.5 million passengers per year, but in 2006 handled roughly 6.8 million [3].

Statistics

Passenger traffic growth 1995-2007, from the airport's official webpage:[4]

Terminal 2

This terminal has been fully operational since March 12, 2008, two years after the originally planned opening date. The arrivals area was in operation since mid-2007 but problems with safety certification and disagreements between the airport and construction firm led to temporary work stoppages.

Terminal 3

Construction on Terminal 3 is due to begin in 2009, and completion is expected in 3 years. The Terminal is to be located on the opposite side of the airport from terminals 1, 2 and Etudia.

Future auxiliary airport at Modlin

Main article: Modlin Airport

The long awaited conversion of a former military airfield north of the city into Warsaw's second international airport for low-cost carriers is, as of May 2008, still awaiting government approval on environmental grounds, but due to proximity to bird migration routes and protected bird sanctuary wetlands, may be delayed or ultimately blocked. Modlin is also to service charter carriers and in some undefined future, cargo, but due to chronic delays in commencing needed construction, is not expected to become operational until 2011 at the earliest. Meanwhile other regional military airports at Sochaczew and Radom are being readied by their local governments and private investors to compete with Modlin for Warsaw-region low cost passenger traffic and cargo.

Ground transportation

Bus

Warsaw city centre can be reached by the bus lines: 175 and 188 during the day and N32 at night. There is also an additional line 148 that provides access to Ursynów (a southern part of Warsaw) and Praga (an eastern part of Warsaw). The fare is PLN 2.8 one-way for all the lines (day and night).

Train

A train station is located under Terminal 2 and a fast connection to the city centre (Warszawa ródmiecie station) is under construction. No definite date of completing the works has been established as of July 2008.


Scheduled airlines and destinations

Terminal 1 check-in area

Those scheduled airlines check-in at Terminal 1, but arrivals are handled at Terminal 2.

Terminal 2 check-in area

Those scheduled airlines check-in at Terminal 2, and all arrivals are handled also in Terminal 2.

Etiuda Terminal

Low cost carriers (except Centralwings, Clickair, and Volare Airlines) use the Etiuda terminal for departures. It is smaller and its facilities are rudimentary, and accordingly, its airport taxes are lower. While flights depart from the Etiuda terminal, all arrivals are handled at Terminal 2.

Cargo Terminal

Former Airlines and Destinations

Runways

The airport has two intersecting runways, whose configuration and available taxiways under current rules permit 34 passenger operations (takeoffs or landings) per hour.[2]

Preferential runways

The following preferential runway system has been established for the airport:[5]

Arrivals:

  1. Runway 33
  2. Runway 11
  3. Runway 15
  4. Runway 29

Departures:

  1. Runway 29
  2. Runway 15
  3. Runway 33
  4. Runway 11

Between 20:00 and 04:00 hours (in winter: 21:00 and 05:00), Runway 15/33 is used, weather and technical considerations permitting.[5]

Accidents record

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Data from The Civil Aviation Office of Poland (Urzd Lotnictwa Cywilnego). (Polish)
  2. ^ a b "Dokadnie 72 lata temu otwarto lotnisko Okcie", www.tur-info.pl (information originally available from the official airport webpage), 6 June 2006. Link accessed 2008-05-07. (Polish)
  3. ^ up, Polska Agencja Prasowa, "Od czwartku Terminal 2 na Okciu przejmie przyloty od Etiudy", (As of Thrusday, Terminal 2 Shall Take Over Arrivals to Etiuda) Gazeta Wyborcza, Gospodarka section, 25 July 2007. (Polish)
  4. ^ Official webpage for WAW/EPWA, Airport statistics. Link accessed 2008-05-07.
  5. ^ a b Boeing Company data sheet for noise policies at WAW/EPWA, Boeing.com, June 2007. Link accessed 2008-05-07.

External links

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Okcie Airport
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