Modlin Airport up-date - Ryanair and Wizzair low-cost flights to Warsaw in summer 2013

Modlin Airport saga continues. Welcomed with a great excitement in July 2012, the first low-cost airport of Warsaw, Poland, has been struggling with a series of technical and logistic difficulties ever since, being, as of mid-July 2013, temporarily closed for air traffic.

Although even a mere mentioning of Modlin Airport brings a frown upon any Pole’s face, or an ironic comment, the airport reopening is anxiously awaited, as it will bring a well needed relief to the overcrowded main Wasaw Chopin Airport, where all low-cost flights to Warsaw have been moved.

Wizzair and Ryanair in Modlin - flight delays and cancellations
The first problems at Modlin Airport were felt shortly after its inauguration, in early Autumn 2012.

Due to the somewhat rushed inauguration of the airport for EURO 2012, Modlin Airport was not equipped with the Instrument Lending System (ILS) allowing landing of aircrafts in foggy weather. Constant delays or re-directing of flights to alternative airports in Warsaw-Chopin or, less conveniently, in Lodz, caused conflict some discontentment amongst the major budget carriers at the airport, Ryanair and Wizzair, leading the latter to move some of  its operations to Warsaw-Chopin.

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Holes in the runway - Modlin Airport closed until further notice
The bad spell continued in Modlin. In December 2012, due safety concerns resulting from the cracks on the asphalt runway the airport was closed for repairs being all Ryanair and Wizzair operations moved to Warsaw-Chopin.

Initially scheduled to be finished by January 2013, the repair works suffered a serious delay because of a particularly severe winter weather, with low temperatures and heavy snowfall. The completion of the repairs at Modlin Airport was postponed to the end of May 2013 and then, again to June 18th.

As of mid-June 2013, there was still no fixed date for the recommencement of Modlin Airport’s activity.

Ryanair and Wizzair back to Modlin?
Due to the uncertainty about Modlin Airport, Ryanair and Wizzair have decided to remain at Warsaw-Chopin Airport throughout the summer season.

While Ryanair scheduled flights at Warsaw Chopin (Okecie) Airport until September 2nd, Wizzair seems to be keeping at the safe side with flights landing and taking off from Warsaw-Chopin until October 26th.

According to unconfirmed news, the Hungarian carrier has made itself at home at Warsaw’s main airport and may want to remain at Warsaw-Chopin permanently.

No direct train to Modlin Airport in sight - Modlin transportation
Another ‘minor’ problem involving the low-cost airport of Warsaw is access to Modlin.

Works on a dedicated railway link allowing a quick access directly to the terminal of Modlin Airport, in initial planes scheduled to be ready for EURO 2012, have seen constant delays. The  Ministry of Regional Development, responsible for  transportation network in Modlin has already postponed  the project’s dead-line once, to 2014. Recently enquired about the future plans for Modlin area’s transportation, the Ministry representative would not confirm this date anymore.

Modlin Airport is located approx. 25 miles north of Warsaw city centre. At the moment, the access to Modlin Airport from Warsaw and vice versa, is done mainly by road. However, due to constant road works aiming at improving the road network capacity, the effect is just the opposite. During the first months of Modlin Airport functioning traffic jams on the roads leading to Modlin from Warsaw were notorious and raising concern. An alternative transportation, an already existing regional train line to the town of Modlin, requires passengers to cover the additional 3.4 miles distance from the train station to the airport’s terminal. A shuttle bus is provided.

Find out more about transfers between Modlin Airport and Warsaw city centre.

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