Warsaw Chopin Airport nears 1.7 million passengers in February and sets first daily record of 2026
Warsaw Chopin Airport handled 1,695,037 passengers in February 2026, up 8.5% year on year. The airport also posted its first daily record of the year, processing 69,331 travellers on 13 February.
In the first two months of 2026, total traffic reached 3,443,228 passengers, a 10.2% increase from the same period a year earlier. International traffic accounted for 93% of the total. Almost two thirds of passengers travelled within Schengen, with that segment reaching 2,223,837 travellers. Transfer passengers represented 23% of all traffic.
Traffic keeps growing as the airport maintains its hub profile
The airport handled 13,350 passenger flight operations in February and 14,361 total aircraft movements. Traditional network carriers still accounted for the largest share of traffic at 60%. Low-cost operators reached 30% of the market, gaining share at the expense of both network and charter airlines. Charter services represented 10% of operations.
Operationally, that mix matters. Chopin remains a regular-service and transfer airport, but low-cost carriers continue to expand. For corporate buyers, this means a broader range of options, although not always in the segments most relevant to managed travel.
Adam Sanocki, member of the management board of Polish Airports for strategy and marketing, said strong demand for air travel continues across the Polish market. In his view, Poland’s aviation sector will exceed 70 million passengers in 2026.
London leads, while Egypt stays on top in charters
The ranking of the most popular scheduled destinations remained largely unchanged. The top five cities were London, Paris, Dubai, Amsterdam and Brussels. That list reflects Chopin Airport’s profile well, combining major European markets with transfer hubs and long-haul demand.
In charter traffic, the pattern also held steady. Marsa Alam, Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh remained the three most popular destinations, followed by Bangkok and Punta Cana. These figures matter less for business travel than for the leisure market, but they confirm strong winter demand for holiday flights.
Cargo grows faster than passenger traffic
February was also the strongest February on record for cargo at Chopin Airport. The airport handled 11,902 tonnes during the month. Year-to-date cargo reached 23,645 tonnes, up 23.5% year on year.
The leading cargo airlines were LOT Polish Airlines, Qatar Airways, DHL Express, UPS Airlines and Emirates. This shows that Warsaw is strengthening not only its passenger business, but also its freight segment, which is becoming more important for network carriers and integrators.
