- Modlin Airport
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Coordinates: 52°27′04″N 020°39′06″E / 52.45111°N 20.65167°E
Modlin Airport
port lotniczy Warszawa-ModlinIATA: none – ICAO: EPMO Summary Airport type Military (disused) Owner Port Lotniczy Mazowsze Warszawa-Modlin Sp. z o.o. Operator Port Lotniczy Mazowsze Warszawa-Modlin Sp. z o.o. Serves Warsaw Location Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki, Poland Elevation AMSL 104 m / 341 ft Website Runways Direction Length Surface m ft 08/26 2,500 8,202 Asphalt Source: DAFIF[1] Modlin Airport (ICAO: EPMO) is a disused military airfield, currently being converted[2] into a passenger airport for low-cost carriers serving the Warsaw, Poland market. The airport is scheduled to open for passenger service prior to UEFA Euro 2012. On 8 February 2010, the airport was registered officially as civil airport by the Polish Aviation Authority (Urząd Lotnictwa Cywilnego)[3]. It is located 35 km north of Warsaw's city centre the district of Modlin in the town of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki.
Originally designed for military use in the Second Polish Republic in 1937, it was not made operational until 1940 as an airbase for the German Luftwaffe in occupied Poland. Between 1945 and 2000 it was used by Polish and Soviet air forces. In 2000 the Polish Ministry of National Defence declared the airfield closed.[4] Subsequently, much of its original area was made available as capital in a joint management limited liability company created to run the future airport, Port Lotniczy Mazowsze Warszawa-Modlin Sp. z o.o.
The airport currently features one asphalt runway in poor condition and lacks navigation lighting and modern radio aids such as ILS, 2500 m long and 60 m wide at the altitude of 104 m[1].
The 2012 plans call for the conversion of the airport to civilian use, primarily as a replacement for the now closed Etiuda terminal for low-cost carriers at the Warsaw's main Okęcie airport, an idea which emerged in the early 2000s[5]. Numerous projected opening dates have slipped[6], and business plans with extensive infrastructure improvements, including a new passenger terminal, have been proposed without any actual progress in the construction. An environmental assessment was completed as well.[7] A schedule, announced in February 2008[8] [9] had the airport opening for business in early 2010.
In September 2009 it was announced[10] that tenders were being accepted and funding had been secured from the EU for an opening in 2011, in time for the Euro 2012 Football Tournament).
Construction works finally began on 8 October 2010 and is currently expected to be completed before Euro 2012.[11]
A new 5km rail spur branching off from the existing Warsaw-Gdynia line will be built with an underground station at the airport, theoretically providing a 30-minute commute to Warsaw centre.
Ryanair recently announced that it was planning to open a base at the new airport.
References
- ^ a b Airport information for EPMO at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.Source: DAFIF.
- ^ "Modlin airport for Euro 2012". Embassy of the Republic of Poland in London. http://london.trade.gov.pl/en/aktualnosci/article/y,2009,a,5246,.html. Retrieved 13 February 2010.
- ^ [1]
- ^ "History of Modlin Aerodrome". http://www.modlinairport.pl/site/history. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
- ^ . "Dec. 2004: The new airport could open as early as June 2005". http://www.warsaw-life.com/news/news/182-Warsaw's_Second_Airport_Under_Construction. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
- ^ "Jan, 2007: The new airport in Modlin was once scheduled to open in October 2008". http://www.warsawvoice.pl/view/13655/. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
- ^ Krzysztof Smietana, "Z Modlina polecimy dopiero w 2010 roku", Gazeta.pl, 21 December 2007. Link accessed 2008-03-06. (Polish)
- ^ "Feb 2008: Modlin airport expected to start operating in 1Q2010". http://gospodarka.gazeta.pl/gospodarka/1,77367,4965104.html. Retrieved 2008-02-29. (Polish)
- ^ ""Flying in to Modlin" in Polish Market Online". http://polishmarket.com.pl/document/:16181?p=%2FMONITOR+GOSPODARCZY%2F. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
- ^ "Warsaw to have second airport". Polish Market Online. 2009-09-10. http://www.polishmarket.com.pl/document/:21067?p=%2FMONITOR+GOSPODARCZY%2F. Retrieved 2009-09-21.
- ^ "Works at Modlin airport get under way". Polskie Radio. 2010-10-11. http://www.thenews.pl/business/artykul141288.html. Retrieved 2010-10-11.
External links
- Official website of the proposed Modlin Airport (English) (Polish)
- Maintenance Center at Modlin Airport
Transport in Warsaw Warsaw Chopin Airport · Modlin Airport · Koleje Mazowieckie · Szybka Kolej Miejska · Warsaw Metro · Warsaw Tramway · Warsaw Trolleybuses · Warszawska Kolej Dojazdowa
Categories:- Airports in Poland
- Proposed airports
- Proposed transport infrastructure in Poland
- Poland–Soviet Union relations
- Soviet Air Force bases
- Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki County
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