Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK) has officially accepted the construction design for its new passenger terminal and integrated railway station from the master architect. The company is currently preparing documentation to submit to the Mazovian Voivode for building permit applications. The first stage of the CPK Airport is planned to open before the end of 2032.
The design handover followed positive assessments from the Regional Headquarters of the State Fire Service. The approved construction documentation and building permit application relate to the passenger terminal and railway station. The documentation for the bus terminal was accepted earlier, in June this year.
View from level +2 of the passenger terminal onto the apron of the CPK Airport. Source: CPK, Foster + Partners
The project was prepared by the master architect team – a consortium selected via tender, comprising British firms Foster + Partners and Buro Happold, supported by over 30 subcontractors from various industries, including NACO, Kuryłowicz & Associates, and Cundall. In total, over 400 designers contributed to the development of the design documentation.
Large-Scale terminal design for future expansion
The designed area of the CPK passenger terminal in the first stage is approximately 450,000 square metres. By comparison, the terminal at Warsaw Chopin Airport covers 165,000 square metres.
Passenger operations at the CPK terminal will be carried out across three levels:
Level +2: Ticket and baggage check-in, security control, arrivals and departures for the Schengen zone, and some arrivals from the Non-Schengen zone
Level +1: Arrivals and departures for the Non-Schengen zone, transfer centres, and passport control
Level 0: Coach gates for both Schengen and Non-Schengen zones, baggage reclaim, and arrivals hall
In the first stage, the northern pier (on the right) and the central piers will be built. The construction timeline for the southern pier (on the left) depends on traffic forecasts. Source: CPK, Foster + Partners
The main building will be connected to piers through which passengers will access aircraft directly. In its first stage, CPK Airport is expected to handle up to 11,000 passengers per hour. On opening day, the terminal will feature around 140 ticket and baggage check-in desks, with space reserved for an additional island, allowing the number of check-in desks to increase to 170.
The terminal design provides for two phases of development: to handle 34 million and then 44 million passengers per year. The target share of transfer passengers – those changing planes at CPK – is expected to be 35–40%.
The main terminal hall will be built from the outset with a larger volume to accommodate the first planned expansion. Interior fit-out and equipment will be implemented in phases. Terminal capacity can be flexibly increased by adding ticket and baggage check-in desks, security lanes, passport control booths, and baggage reclaim belts. Some of the equipment may be transferred from the modernised Chopin Airport, reducing procurement costs.
The underground CPK railway station at the terminal. Up to half of the passengers may reach the airport by train. Source: CPK, Foster + Partners
Phased construction of the piers
The initial stage of construction will include the North Pier (B) – for long-haul flights to and from the Non-Schengen zone – and Central Piers (C and D), with flexible functionality for both Schengen and Non-Schengen operations.
The South Pier (E) has been designed with documentation enabling phased construction. Its implementation is planned in the next stage and will depend on updated passenger traffic forecasts. Further stages of airport expansion will include the North-East Pier (A) and South-East Pier (F).
The first phase will provide:
26 dedicated contact stands for narrow-body aircraft
23 contact stands for wide-body aircraft, including 18 flexible MARS stands (capable of handling either one wide-body or two narrow-body aircraft)
Altogether, the contact stands equipped with airbridges will allow for the initial handling of 49 to 67 aircraft, depending on the airline fleet mix. For comparison, Chopin Airport currently allows for just eight wide-body aircraft at contact stands, and a total of 22 to 27 aircraft with passenger boarding bridges.
View of the passenger terminal from the perspective of an arriving passenger. Source: CPK, Foster + Partners
Multimodal transport integration
The CPK project has been designed as a fully integrated transport hub – combining air, rail, and road transport. The investor anticipates that up to half of all passengers will arrive at the airport via rail and coach connections.
At CPK’s request, the designers have introduced improvements to enhance passenger comfort at the coach terminal. As a result, the long-distance coach waiting area will be directly connected to the railway station building, making transfers easier for passengers. Both the coach canopies and waiting areas are designed for future modular expansion.
Commercial zone of the terminal in the area of the central piers. Source: CPK, Foster + Partners
Supporting infrastructure and design work
In addition to the work carried out by the master architect, other design tasks at CPK are also underway and are being closely coordinated. Design documentation is being prepared for runways, taxiways, aircraft aprons, and internal road networks as part of the responsibilities of CPK’s Master Civil Engineer.
Work is also ongoing on the design of support infrastructure, including administrative buildings, maintenance bases, meteorological and environmental control facilities, the Airport Operations Control Centre (AOCC), the air traffic control tower, and Airport Fire Service buildings.
Location Decision and site preparation
In January of this year, the Mazovian Voivode issued the location decision for the CPK Airport. The company is now preparing to submit building permit applications for the terminal, railway and coach stations, and selected support facilities, including fire service buildings.
On the future airport site, the investor continues demolition works and relocation activities. These are taking place on land acquired through the Voluntary Acquisition Programme (PDN), under which CPK has purchased over 2,100 plots, totalling more than 2,000 hectares.
Procurement and construction schedule
In May, CPK launched a competitive dialogue procedure to select the general contractor for the passenger terminal – the largest tender announced by the company this year. In July, bids were opened in the tender for the Baggage Handling System (BHS), also conducted under the competitive dialogue procedure. By the end of 2025, CPK plans to announce tenders worth approximately PLN 30 billion in total.
Construction of the terminal is set to begin in 2026, starting with deep foundation works (piling). According to the schedule, the underground tunnel and railway station will be completed by 2029. CPK Airport is expected to be operational by the end of 2032, together with the first section of the Warsaw–Łódź High-Speed Rail Line, which is currently in the design, land acquisition, and permitting phase. Construction is already underway in Łódź.
