Airport guide
Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW, EPWA) at a glance
Warsaw Chopin Airport is the main international airport for Warsaw. It was named after Frédéric Chopin in 2001 and is still widely called Okęcie, its earlier name. It lies about 10 km south of the city centre, and private flights use its General Aviation Terminal.
Aircraft
What can fly from Warsaw Chopin Airport
Charter-A is a charter broker: we arrange private jet, air taxi and helicopter flights to and from Warsaw Chopin Airport. Every landing and take-off here needs a slot, which the handler requests.
Private jets at Warsaw Chopin Airport
The two runways, 3,690 m and 2,800 m long, take every size of private jet. Passengers are normally handled through the general aviation facilities or a private terminal (FBO), here the General Aviation Terminal, and arrive about 30 minutes before departure.
Air taxis at Warsaw Chopin Airport
Turboprop air taxis use the same runways and the same General Aviation Terminal as the jets, and need a slot in the same way. They suit small groups on shorter trips within Poland and to nearby countries. Passengers arrive about 30 minutes before departure.
Helicopters at Warsaw Chopin Airport
Helicopters can use the airport, with limits. A parking stand must be guaranteed by the airport in advance, the helicopter stand is for daylight use only, and it takes helicopters up to 5,700 kg. Passengers arrive about 10 minutes before departure.
Airport facts
Warsaw Chopin Airport facts, codes and location
The reference details for Warsaw Chopin Airport, with the airfield on a satellite map. The rings are 750 and 1,500 metres from the airport reference point, where the two runways cross.
| Address | Polskie Porty Lotnicze S.A., ul. Żwirki i Wigury 1, 00-906 Warszawa, Poland |
| ICAO code | EPWA |
| IATA code | WAW |
| Coordinates | 52.1658 N, 20.9672 E |
| Elevation | 362 feet (110 m) |
| Runways | 15/33: 3,690 m (12,106 ft) long, 60 m wide, asphalt. 11/29: 2,800 m (9,186 ft) long, 50 m wide, concrete and asphalt |
| Managed by | Polskie Porty Lotnicze S.A. (Polish Airports) |
| Private terminal | General Aviation Terminal, ul. Komitetu Obrony Robotników 47, 02-146 Warszawa, in the northern part of the airport |
| Customs and immigration | Available 24 hours. Handled at the General Aviation Terminal by the handling agents |
| Slots | Required for every landing and take-off, 24 hours a day, requested by the handler |
Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW, EPWA) is at 52.1658 N, 20.9672 E. The facts table on this page gives the address, codes and runway.
Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW, EPWA) is at 52.1658 N, 20.9672 E. The facts table on this page gives the address, codes and runway.
Private terminals
Private terminal and handlers at Warsaw Chopin Airport
Three handlers (FBOs) look after private flights at Warsaw Chopin Airport. All three work from the General Aviation Terminal on ul. Komitetu Obrony Robotników, in the northern part of the airport, about 3 km by road from passenger Terminal A.
Excel Handling at Warsaw Chopin Airport
AddressExcel Handling Sp. z o.o., General Aviation Terminal, ul. Komitetu Obrony Robotników 47, 02-146 Warszawa, Poland
HoursConfirmed for your flight
Business aviation handling at the General Aviation Terminal.
WELCOME Airport Services at Warsaw Chopin Airport
AddressWELCOME General Aviation, General Aviation Terminal, ul. Komitetu Obrony Robotników 47, 02-146 Warszawa, Poland
HoursOperations centre 24 hours a day. Terminal open 06:00 to 23:00
Ground handling for all aircraft types.
LS Airport Services at Warsaw Chopin Airport
AddressLS Airport Services S.A., General Aviation Terminal, ul. Komitetu Obrony Robotników 47, 02-146 Warszawa, Poland
HoursOperations centre 24 hours a day. Terminal open 06:00 to 23:00
Handling for private, corporate and medical flights.
The handler requests the slot for your flight, meets you at the General Aviation Terminal, takes care of border and customs formalities, looks after your luggage and takes you to the aircraft. The street was formerly called 17 Stycznia, and some listings still use that name. The handler is confirmed for each flight and named on your booking confirmation.
Opening hours
Warsaw Chopin Airport opening hours
When private flights can use the airport, what the night rules are and why the hours are checked again for your flight.
Private terminal: 06:00 to 23:00
The General Aviation Terminal is open every day from 06:00 to 23:00. The airport itself, with its customs, immigration and air traffic control, is published as open 24 hours, but night flying is restricted and every flight needs a slot.
Night rules at Warsaw Chopin
Flights are restricted between 22:00 and 06:00 local time and rationed by a noise points system. In the Core Night, 23:30 to 05:30, one-off private flights are not permitted, so a charter cannot be planned to land or depart then.
Reconfirmed for every flight
Every landing and take-off needs a slot, requested by the handler. A private flight delayed by more than two hours must obtain a new one. We reconfirm the slot, the terminal hours and the night rules for the date and time of every flight.
Ground transport
Getting to and from Warsaw Chopin Airport
The airport and the places passengers most often travel on to, with approximate road distances and drive times.
The table below lists road distances and drive times from Warsaw Chopin Airport.
The table below lists road distances and drive times from Warsaw Chopin Airport.
| From Warsaw Chopin Airport to | By road | Drive time |
|---|---|---|
| Warsaw city centre | 7.8 km | about 15 minutes |
| Old Town and Royal Castle | 12.8 km | about 20 minutes |
| Wilanów Palace | 9.8 km | about 15 minutes |
| Ptak Warsaw Expo, Nadarzyn | 17.2 km | about 20 minutes |
| Konstancin-Jeziorna | 23.3 km | about 25 minutes |
| Żelazowa Wola (Chopin’s birthplace) | 54.5 km | about 1 hour |
The address to give your driver
Private flights use the General Aviation Terminal, ul. Komitetu Obrony Robotników 47, 02-146 Warszawa. It is about 3 km by road from passenger Terminal A, so give your driver this address and the name of the handler on your booking confirmation.
Chauffeur cars to and from Warsaw Chopin Airport
Executive Global Travel provides chauffeur cars, and a car can be arranged to meet you at the General Aviation Terminal and take you on to your hotel, office, venue or home, or to bring you to the airport for your departure.
- Meet and greet at the handler used for your flight
- Help with luggage from the building to the car
- Onward journeys to central Warsaw, the Old Town and the exhibition halls
- Pick-up time set to your flight schedule
Chauffeur cars at Warsaw Chopin Airport from Executive Global Travel
Road distances and drive times are route-planner figures without traffic, measured from the General Aviation Terminal. Warsaw traffic at busy times adds a good deal.
History
A short history of Warsaw Chopin Airport
From a field bought near Okęcie in 1924 to a slot-coordinated airport with its own private terminal.
- 1924The state buys 460 hectares near Okęcie for a new Central Airport. Building starts the following year.
- 1934Okęcie airport is officially opened in April by President Ignacy Mościcki. It handles 10,750 passengers in its first year.
- 1945The runway and buildings are destroyed in January by retreating German troops. A makeshift terminal, tower and runway are rebuilt within two years.
- 1969A new International Airport Terminal opens on 29 April, the airport’s 35th anniversary.
- 1992Terminal 1 opens on 1 July, built in 24 months, with room for 3.5 million passengers a year.
- 2001The airport is renamed in honour of Frédéric Chopin.
- 2005The VIP Aviation Terminal, today’s General Aviation Terminal, opens for small business aircraft in the renovated Domestic Aviation Terminal.
- 2012On 25 March the airport becomes fully slot-coordinated. Its railway station opens in June.
A falconer keeps the runways at Warsaw Chopin Airport clear
Birds are kept off the runways by a falconer working with birds of prey, a dog and a hand-held laser. The airport’s official notes also warn pilots of skeins of migrating geese over Warsaw from late February to mid-April and again from October to mid-November.
Picture at the top of this page: Lotnisko Chopina w Warszawie 2018b, by Adrian Grycuk, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0 PL, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped.
Weather
Weather at Warsaw Chopin Airport
What matters for flying at Warsaw Chopin Airport when the weather is poor, and where to see it live.
Low cloud and fog at Warsaw Chopin
The airport is well equipped for poor visibility: Runway 33 and Runway 11 both have instrument landing systems for very low cloud. Low visibility procedures start when visibility on the runway falls below 550 m or the cloud base below 200 ft, and fewer flights can then land and depart each hour.
How the weather is managed
The crew check the forecast for Warsaw Chopin Airport and for the other end of your trip before every flight. If conditions look doubtful we tell you early and offer a different time. Because every flight here needs a slot, a new time means a new slot, which the handler requests.
Live Warsaw Chopin Airport weather
The weather page shows the pilot view (the current airport report and forecast), a plain passenger view for the days ahead and a live rain map. If the flight is cancelled because of the weather, you pay nothing.
Weather Warsaw Chopin Airport: pilot view, passenger view and rain map
Questions
Warsaw Chopin Airport: your questions answered
What are the opening hours of Warsaw Chopin Airport?
Where is the private terminal at Warsaw Chopin Airport?
How early should I arrive at Warsaw Chopin Airport for a private flight?
Can helicopters land at Warsaw Chopin Airport?
How far is Warsaw Chopin Airport from Warsaw city centre?
Do private flights need a slot at Warsaw Chopin Airport?
Related pages
More about Warsaw Chopin Airport
Flying to or from Warsaw Chopin Airport?
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