Warsaw's second airport open 'from 2 July'

Warsaw Modlin Airport on Tuesday. Photo: PAP/Grzegorz Jakubowski

Marta Chylinska, a spokesperson for the ULC, has told the Polish Press Agency (PAP) that flights may commence as soon as an earlier positive decision by the regional building inspector becomes legally binding.

“Information given to us indicates that the decision by the building inspector will be valid on 1 July ,” Edyta Mikolajczyk, an advisor to the board of the airport told PAP.

“All of our services will be on standby from 1 July, but the airport will be able to formally accept aircraft from 2 July,” she forecast.

The airport has been closed to large passenger airplanes for almost half a year, after cracks appeared in the runway just months following the opening of the airport in July 2012.

A report by Poland's Air Force Institute of Technology concluded that chief building contractor Erbud had used incorrect substances in its concrete mix for the laying the runway. The firm was recalled to carry out repairs.

Ryanair has told PAP that it intends to resume flights to and from Warsaw Modlin Airport from 2 September, as previously indicated.

Wizz Air still has some reservations however.

“We want to see first how the airport functions after it opens, and how the ILS system is working,” Daniel De Carvalho from Wizzair said.

He added that the Wizzair would have to come to an agreement with Modlin airport about losses incurred owing to the closure. The airline is not expected to resume flights 26 October at the earliest.

Both Ryanair and Wizzair will continue to use Warsaw International Chopin Airport for the time being, as they have been doing since the beginning of the year. (nh)