Poland is one of the largest members of the European Union and has developed into an important player in the economy since the early 1990s. The capital Warsaw is not only an important industrial and business location, but also an extremely attractive tourist destination.

The Polish metropolis currently has two airports with regular scheduled services. These are Chopin Airport and Modlin Airport. Both are marketed as Warsaw, but both the location and the offer are vastly different.

Chopin Airport can be recognized under the IATA code WAW in flight plans under the reservation system of airlines. The Star Alliance member Lot maintains its home base here. Both long-haul flights and a dense European route network are offered. This is supplemented by the routes served by Star Alliance and codeshare partners. All airlines flying to Warsaw use Chopin Airport, which is located within the urban area. All? No, there is one exception: Ryanair.

This flies to Warsaw-Modlin Airport (WMI), which is about 33 kilometers as the crow flies from the center of the Polish capital. For comparison: Chopin is only about seven kilometers from the center and is well connected by train and bus. Zone 1 day tickets are also valid from / to the WAW. Modlin, on the other hand, has a “quasi-rail connection”, because first a shuttle bus has to be used to get to Modlin train station. The travel time to the Warsaw city limits is around 45 minutes. The price for the trip (including bus transfer) is 19 Polish zlotys. Theoretically, there is also an express bus with ticket prices from PLN nine, but operations are suspended for an indefinite period due to the corona pandemic. For comparison: a 24-hour ticket, which is valid for all public transport within the Polish capital, costs PLN 15. The ticket ex Modlin is valid up to the train station where you get off in Warsaw, after which another ticket is required.

The additional costs for public transport to / from WMI are minimal, but the time required is significantly higher. It should also be remembered that the shuttle bus only runs every 30 minutes and that there can be a waiting time of up to 30 minutes at Modlin train station. If you have a lot of bad luck you also lose about an hour.

Since the Warsaw-Chopin airport was considered overloaded due to the expansion of Lot, but also the growing offers of other airlines before the corona pandemic, the aim was to remedy the situation with the opening of the civilian terminal in Modlin in 2012. After only one year, Wizzair returned to Chopin, so that since then the small airport has been used almost exclusively by Ryanair and its Polish subsidiary Buzz. Modlin has also long since ceased to play a role in the long-term plans of the Polish government. The major airport is planned at a different location. It is completely open whether Chopin could be closed. There is a regular rail connection between Moldin Train Station and Chopin Airport. In practice, this is less likely to be used by travelers than by local commuters.

Comparison of the two airports: