The European Commission yesterday approved assistance for PLN 296.6 million (€84.1 million) for the construction of a new Polish airport at Lublin Swidnik. It also gave a green light to public funding for a total of PLN 6 million (€1.7 million) to develop another airport, Gdansk Rebiechowo.

Lublin Swidnik

The aid granted by the Polish authorities is for purchasing the airport site and building the terminal, runway and aircraft taxiways. Contributions are coming from central, regional and municipal government sources and from the European Regional Development Fund. The airport itself is putting up 24% of the overall investment amount.

People in the Lublin region do not currently have satisfactory access to air transport. Also, the region is quite remote in EU terms and relatively inaccessible. The new airport will help to link it up with the rest of Europe.

The Commission has also made sure that this investment is compatible with the protection of the spotted suslik, a species of squirrel which is extremely rare in the European Union and faces a serious threat of extinction. The airport authorities will take specific measures to protect this species.

Gdansk Rebiechowo

The PLN 6 million in assistance is needed to upgrade the airport’s existing infrastructure to handle steep increases in passenger and cargo flows. The money will be used in particular for improving the aircraft parking stands and taxiways.