Authorities of Sochaczew has just started to look
for investor who would modernize its old military airport and launch an airport
for low-cost carriers which would provide services for Warsaw and neighboring
regions.
“We need about PLN 300m (EUR 78.3m) to modernize the
infrastructure. We don’t expect one entity to provide the whole amount. There
are different ways of raising funds, and we are open to go these ways. We will
collect offers for one month”, Bogdan Zasada, Port Lotniczy Sochaczew airport
CEO said.
The company was founded by local governments. Bogdan Zasada does
not say how big the investor’s share is going to be. 51 percent will be left in
local authorities. Today, the shares are equally split between gmina, town and
Mazowsze region authorities.
If Sochaczew is successful, first
passengers would fly out of here in 2010. Modlin airport was supposed to launch
operations in 2008 but the project is delayed. Now, that EU funds, have been
allocated for Modlin airport, it turned out that ecologists have their doubts
over the location. They believe that many kinds of birds may disappear in result
of this project. Authorities of Mazowsze region support both airports: in Modlin
and in Sochaczew.
“Unfortunately, despite our attempts, the European
Commission decided to give EU funds for Modlin airport only”, Marta Milewska
from Mazowsze region authorities said.
Experts believe that even
without EU subsidies, Sochaczew airport has chances.
“The smaller chances
Modlin has, the bigger Sochaczew will have. The latter’s chances are big because
it will have private investor and because of logistic structure. Sochaczew
success will make Modlin’s situation more difficult”, Tomasz Dziedzic, aviation
expert at the Institute of Tourism commented.
(PLN 1 = EUR 0.261)