At Modlin, air traffic control prepares to move off site

A control tower without controllers at its top, but with professionals working at screens away from the airport: the Warsaw-Modlin project changes the vantage point for observing air traffic. Presented as a first in Poland, the system is intended to connect the airfield to an operational centre in Warsaw.

The Mazovia region outlined the installation’s prospects in a statement published on 25 September. The announced timetable targets operational commissioning in mid-2028. This is a project objective, not equipment already in service.

Cameras to observe, controllers to decide
The principle described by PAŻP, the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency, relies on cameras and sensors at the airport. They transmit information in real time to a remote control facility, known as a Remote Tower Centre.

In its technical presentation in May 2024, the agency explained that the system would combine a panoramic view of the airfield with additional information, including weather and radar data. The September 2026 statement mentions cameras approximately 40 metres above ground, together with zoom and object-tracking functions.

The word “remote” therefore describes the workplace. The proposed project retains human controllers responsible for operational decisions: it should not be confused with an airport whose movements are decided entirely by artificial intelligence.

A timetable that must be read with its date
Older documents remain available online. The PAŻP statement published on 13 May 2024 referred to a start around the turn of 2026 and 2027. The regional statement of 25 September 2026 instead indicates mid-2028. We use that more recent target here.

Key point
The project concerns Warsaw-Modlin Airport. Mid-2028 is the commissioning date announced in the recent statement; it must not be presented as an accomplished fact.

What travellers can expect
For passengers, the interest lies behind the scenes of travel: how does an airport organise observation of its runways and coordination of its movements? The change here concerns controllers’ tools and workstation.

This announcement alone does not justify promises of cheaper tickets, new routes or an end to delays. Those outcomes would require separate evidence. For an upcoming departure, airline schedules and airport information remain the practical references.

Modlin nevertheless offers a concrete example of the modernisation of Polish aviation: physical infrastructure on the airfield, digital transmission of information and professionals interpreting it remotely. The next challenge will be moving from the announced organisation to operational use.

Original AI-generated illustration. Conceptual composition: it depicts neither the actual future equipment nor the airport’s exact architecture.