Coordinates: 52°27′04″N 020°39′06″E / 52.45111°N 20.65167°E / 52.45111; 20.65167

Modlin Airport (ICAO: EPMO) is a disused military airfield, currently being converted into a passenger airport for low-cost carriers serving the Warsaw, Poland market. The airport is scheduled to open for passenger service prior to UEFA Euro 2012. On 8 February 2010, the airport was registered officially as civil airport by the Polish Aviation Authority (Urząd Lotnictwa Cywilnego). It is located 35 km north of Warsaw's city centre near the village of Modlin in the town of Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki.

Originally designed for military use in the Second Polish Republic in 1937, it was not made operational until 1940 as an airbase for the German Luftwaffe in occupied Poland. Between 1945 and 2000 it was used by Polish and Soviet air forces. In 2000 the Polish Ministry of National Defence declared the airfield closed. Subsequently, much of its original area was made available as capital in a joint management limited liability company created to run the future airport, Port Lotniczy Mazowsze Warszawa-Modlin Sp. z o.o.

The airport currently features one asphalt runway in poor condition and lacks navigation lighting and modern radio aids such as ILS, 2500 m long and 60 m wide at the altitude of 104 m.

The 2012 plans call for the conversion of the airport to civilian use, primarily as a replacement for the now closed Etiuda terminal for low-cost carriers at the Warsaw's main Okęcie airport, an idea which emerged in the early 2000s. Numerous projected opening dates have slipped, and business plans with extensive infrastructure improvements, including a new passenger terminal, have been proposed without any actual progress in the construction. An environemtal assessment was completed as well. A schedule, announced in February 2008 had the airport opening for business in early 2010.

In September 2009 it was announced that tenders were being accepted and funding had been secured from the EU for an opening in 2011, in time for the Euro 2012 Football Tournament).

A new 5km rail spur branching off from the existing Warsaw-Gdynia line will be built with an underground station at the airport, theoretically providing a 30-minute commute to Warsaw centre.

The content above was published at Airports-Worldwide.com in 2010.
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