Poland’s new mega hub, CPK Airport, is another step closer to reality today after the company behind it 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, which if approved, should pave the way for the first stage opening of CPK Airport before the end of 2032.
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 sub-contractors 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, which would positively dwarf the existing 165,000sqm terminal at Warsaw Chopin Airport.
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
All images courtesy of CPK Airport, 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 annum. The target share of transfer passengers – those changing planes at CPK – is expected to be 35% to 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.
According to CPK, the terminal’s 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.
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 and 23 contact stands for wide-body aircraft, including 18 flexible MARS stands (capable of handling either one wide-body or two narrowbody 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.
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.