Warsaw Solidarity Airport: New £7bn mega airport coming to Europe - slammed by Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary as ‘unnecessary’

A new mega airport is set to be built in Europe and is expected to rival the likes of Heathrow and Dubai due to its proposed long-haul flights. The new airport is set to have flights launch from its base by 2028.

In 2022, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary voiced his opposition to the plans calling the airport “unnecessary”. He told Rzeczpospolita: "It was planned in the wrong place and at the wrong time.

The airport will be in Warsaw, Poland and named Warsaw Solidarity Airport. O’Leary added: "Only very stupid politicians could decide to do something like that. Warsaw already has two airports. It would be enough to use them well."

The new airport aims to enable passengers from Central and Eastern European countries to fly almost anywhere in the world - without having to travel to hubs in Western Europe first. The new airport will help the country’s flag carrier (LOT Polish Airlines) to increase its passenger numbers.

Plans are underway to build the new airport as the city’s main airport, Warsaw Chopin Airport, is already nearing capacity. Plans for the airport were unveiled earlier this year by Foster + Partners and Buro Happold, revealing CGI images that depicted what the airport’s passenger terminal, main rail station, and transfer hub would look like.

Grant Brooker, head of studio at Foster + Partners told Notes from Poland: "Our design focuses on passengers. Our ambition is to create an accessible building that will improve the travel experience…[through] clear visual connections. We believe the CPK [the airport] will completely change the way people travel around Poland, and will also become a new gateway to Europe and the rest of the world."

Developers expect the construction of the airport to cost in the region of $9 billion (£7.2 billion), but this figure could increase to as much as $30 billion (£24.2 billion). The airport’s terminal and runways need to be built, but rail infrastructure will also be needed as the airport is expected to have its own train station. The airport will be situated 40km away from Warsaw and the train station will connect to the country’s pre-existing railway network.

By 2035, Warsaw Solidarity Airport will be able to hold 40 million passengers. However, a third runway and other extensions are expected to see passenger numbers rise to 65 million by 2060.