“Duoport Airport is an opportunity for the development of the region and the entire eastern wall,” says Karol Halicki, President of the Podlaskie Chamber of Aviation and the Bialystok Airport Association, which is fighting for the construction of a completely new airport located approximately 100 km from the eastern border, near the route connecting Warsaw and Bialystok. As he emphasizes, the investment could serve cargo transport from the Far and Middle East and become a gateway to European markets for these directions. Due to its location, it could be of great importance for the security of the Baltic countries.
“The Integrated Multiport Operational Airport of the Podlaskie Voivodeship, in short Duoport Airport, is a concept for the development of aviation infrastructure in northeastern Poland. Specifically, it is about the Podlaskie Voivodeship, closest to the Suwalki corridor and our eastern border with Belarus. We plan to have a completely new airport in a new location, located about 100 km from our eastern border in a safe zone,” says Karol Halicki to the Newseria Biznes agency.
The Podlaskie Chamber of Aviation and the Bialystok Airport Association want the voivodeship to have two airports. The concept of the Integrated Multiport Operational Airport of the Podlaskie Voivodeship assumes the implementation of the dominant part of Duoport Airport in the central part of the voivodeship, and the smaller part of Duoport in Bialystok. The airport serving passenger and freight planes would be located in the Kołaki Kościelne commune.
“The airport could be used for the mass transfer of goods, both from Poland, from the European Union to the whole world, and for example from countries like China, India, all of Malaysia, generally the Far and Middle East. At present, we do not have such infrastructure in our country. There is a lot of talk about the implementation of this type of infrastructure projects in Germany or France. We lose a lot on this, because where the transports with goods from all over the world land, the so-called first country of arrival of the European Union gains a huge share in the duty paid by the carriers. If such an airport was created with us, it is obvious that it should be established in Eastern Poland,” convinces the president of the Podlaskie Chamber of Aviation and the Bialystok Airport Association.
According to IATA data, the global demand for cargo transport, measured in tonne-kilometers, is growing rapidly. European carriers recorded a 13.7% year-on-year increase in air travel demand in July. The leader of growth was the Middle East-Europe trade route, which grew by 32.2%, maintaining a streak of double-digit annual growth. The Europe-Asia route, the second-largest market, grew by almost 18%. Inside Europe, double-digit growth of 15.5% was also recorded. In July, carrying capacity increased by 7.6% year-on-year. More and more EU countries are deciding to expand cargo airports (e.g. in Frankfurt), others – to build them, e.g. Romania in Bucharest. The Romanian airport in the initial phase would handle at least 30 thousand tonnes of freight annually.
“The construction of the airport could benefit the entire eastern wall. It would be a flywheel for the local economy, as well as for the entire eastern wall of our country, which would probably help to further equalize development and economic differences. In the east we also struggle with the problem of depopulation, we are simply becoming fewer and fewer, and such an airport in the center of the voivodeship could help to prevent young people from leaving our region,” assesses the expert.
According to the latest Business Insider ranking, Bialystok is the last provincial city in Poland in terms of living standards. As the initiators of the airport idea argue, the investment could change this and serve the development of the entire region. An example can be Lublin, which, before the airport was opened in Świdnik, was developing at a similar pace as Bialystok, and is now one of the fastest growing provincial cities.
“Local authorities are in favor of this project. Everyone hopes that it will revive our region. It is no secret that Podlaskie is the poorest region in our country, and our aspirations are very high and we want to do everything to change this situation,” emphasizes Karol Halicki.
In March this year, the Marshal’s Office in Bialystok commissioned the All-Poland Research Group to conduct a survey of the inhabitants of Podlasie on the subject of the regional airport. Almost 74% are of the opinion that an airport should be built in the voivodship. Over 63% of people declared that they want the airport to have an international character, not just a local one.
“It is also particularly important from the point of view of the security and functioning of the three Baltic countries – Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. These countries also need connections, compatibility with the newly built Rail Baltica railway line. Duoport Airport is preliminarily located near the intersections of the Białystok-Warsaw expressway and the north-south railway line of Europe, Rail Baltica. There is no better location in Poland, also for environmental and meteorological reasons. Also, the weak soils that we have in Podlasie are in favor of locating the new aviation infrastructure there,” the expert argues.
As he emphasizes, the construction of the central airport in Baranów is not a barrier to the development of investment in Podlasie.
“The costs of operating these airports will be radically different, CPK is a very expensive project, I don’t say it’s unnecessary, but airport fees will be much higher. In Podlasie, it will simply be cheaper, so we will naturally compete with each other in price and offer, and in international transport, what counts most is how much it costs,” explains Karol Halicki. “CPK is a public project, funded with public funds. The airport in Podlasie is a non-public project, funded mostly with private funds, with a large share of foreign capital, i.e., internationalization.”
The initiators have been holding discussions for several months on the potential involvement in the construction of the new airport.
“Interest in the low-cost, budget project of a large cargo airport is huge. We have delegations from all over the world every now and then – from China, soon there will be a delegation from Japan, we are after a visit from a delegation from the United States, from France, we are expecting a visit from India and Turkey,” lists the president of the Bialystok Airport Association. “Investors are convinced by the economy and location. There simply isn’t a better-placed place for a large cargo airport in Europe. Podlasie is a forgotten region with huge untapped potential, it’s time to change that.”
