First evictions begin to clear way for Poland’s planned “mega-airport”

The first eviction of people who have refused to make way for the development of the Polish government’s planned new “mega-airport” was scheduled to begin today. The elderly couple live on what is planned to be a runway.

“[My] parents feel robbed by the state,” Agnieszka Brzeska, the daughter of Halina and Kazimierz, who are 72 and 80 years old respectively, told Wirtualna Polska. They were informed about the expropriation last November and had until April to hand over the property.

After they failed to do so, their eviction was due to begin this morning. They are one of two households in the village of Kiedrzyn near the city of Radom who have refused to move out of the area, arguing that the compensation on offer undervalues their property.

“They say that they will not move out until fair compensation is paid for their entire lives and for their ancestors,” said Agnieszka Brzeska. While the couple refused to share details of the offered amount, they say it undervalues their property by 30% and their land by 50%.

Andrzej Klewiado, spokesman for the state airport operator, Porty Lotnicze, responded that “the majority” of property owners in the area had “accepted the offer” to move out by 14 April in exchange for compensation as well as a monthly payment of 3,200 zloty until it is delivered.

The eviction, which Brzeska says is “irrevocable”, was due to begin this morning and last for two days, during which her parents must empty their house and farm. It has not yet been reported what actions have taken place today in relation to the eviction.

Brzeszka added that there remains uncertainty about what will happen to her parents now. “I do not know…when replacement premises will be handed over, whether they will be adapted to the needs of older people and how much time will be given to my parents to move,” she said. “We are definitely undergoing great stress.”

The government’s flagship infrastructure project, named the Solidarity Transport Hub (CPK), will be located between Warsaw and Łódź and is slated to open in 2027. As well as a large airport, it will also feature railway interchanges and road connections.

The runway in nearby Radom that is linked to today’s eviction is currently part of the city’s own airport, which went bankrupt in 2018 due to low traffic. It is now being adapted as a backup for CPK.

The government argues that the new airport can turn Poland into a major regional hub. It has pushed ahead with the plans despite the pandemic’s impact on air travel, though recently admitted that the airport may have to focus more on cargo than previously planned.

The project has, however, faced some criticism. The political opposition have argued that it is an unnecessary use of vast state resources. There have also been protests by residents in the villages of Baranów, Teresin and Wiskitki, where the main airport will be built.

Critics also note that the pandemic has dramatically reduced air travel and that the hub model is becoming less relevant. Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has criticised the Polish government’s “crazy” plans to spend billions on building CPK, which he called a “stupid project”.

Yet the government has moved steadily ahead with construction plans. In August, it announced that preparatory work is underway for 1,000 kilometres of railway lines that will connect to the airport through interchanges.

At the start of this month, CPK announced that it has started buying the first plots of real estate for the project. Last week a €6.5 million deal was signed with engineering firm Arup Polska for the preparation of a masterplan of the investment.

Main image credit: Maciek Jazwiecki / Agencja Gazeta