New cargo apron at Chopin Airport

The construction of a new cargo apron (PPS 12) has just come to an end at Chopin Airport. It is hoped that the recent addition to its infrastructure will help the airport handle the increasing cargo traffic.

The new ramp is located right next to the old cargo apron in the southern area of the airport. It can accommodate three code F aircraft (e.g. Antonov An-124 Ruslan) or six code C planes (such as the Boeing 737 or Airbus A320).

Michał Kaczmarzyk, director of Chopin Airport said: “The investment project is our answer to the increasing demand for freighter handling facilities at Chopin Airport. Our cargo traffic is growing dramatically and we need more and more new parking spaces for cargo jets.”

Chopin Airport handles more than 70% of Poland’s air cargo traffic. In the first half of 2014, over 27.3 thousand tonnes of cargo passed through the Warsaw airport, a year-on-year increase of 18.4%. 

Cargo volumes grew from 308 t to 354 t for domestic traffic (+14,8%) and from 22,700 t to 26,900 t for international flights (+18,4%). More goods were imported into Poland than exported: inbound cargo stood at 15,400 t and outbound at 11,900 t.

The airport also saw an increase in the quantity of mail handled, with a total growth of 1.3% in the first half of 2014 (and as much as 12.8% for international traffic).

The most popular cargo destinations included: Leipzig (3,500 t), Cologne (3,100 t), Dubai (2,900 t), New York (2,800 t) and Chicago (2,200 t), with the biggest cargo carriers being LOT Polish Airlines (9,500 t), UPS Airlines (4,100 t), European Air Transport (3,500 t), Emirates (2,800 t) and TNT Airways (1,100 t).