- Korea and Poland sign an MOU on the 26th for the development of a new airport in Poland, taking the first step of strategic cooperation
- Incheon International Airport Corporation will share its expertise in the planning of the airport project over the next 3 years
The governments of Korea and Poland take a step forward to enhance the two countries’ cooperation to encompass a wider range of areas in the field of airport and related infrastructure development, which, in turn, would bring new opportunities for Korean companies wishing to expand their business overseas.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT, Minister: BYEON Chang-heum) announced that Minister Byeon of MOLIT and Mr. Marcin Horała, Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Government Plenipotentiary for the Solidarity Transport Hub (STH) of Poland, signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation for the Development of the Solidarity Transport Hub between Korea and Poland on February 26, 2021.
The signing ceremony was held online with the minimum number of attendees, strictly following the social distancing guidelines for COVID-19 prevention.
At the event, Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC, President: KIM Kyung-wook) and the STH Company (CPK, Centralny Port Komunikacyjny) also signed an agreement on the Strategic Advisor* for the STH project, the role which IIAC won in the competitive dialog in November last year.
* As the Strategic Advisor for the STH project for the next 3 years, IIAC will provide advisory services to the STH Company from project planning to airport construction and operation (contract price : 5.6 billion KRW)
The Polish government announced an international tender for the Strategic Advisor of the STH project in March 2020. Global airport operators, including Singapore’s Changi Airport and Japan’s Narita Airport, showed great interest in the tender because the entity selected as the Strategic Advisor would have a competitive edge in the selection process for the Strategic Partner for the STH project, which would engage not only in the construction and operation of the airport, but also in equity investment.
IIAC beat Japan’s Narita in the final phase of the selection process and became the Strategic Advisor for the STH project.
In collaboration with the STH Company, IIAC plans to embark on its tasks as the Strategic Advisor, which include providing consultancy services for training and reviewing the master plan for the STH project. A separate tender process is planned to be launched this year by the Polish government for the master plan, which will take around 2 years to be established.
< Project Overview >
The Polish government has been pushing ahead with the STH project with the aim of opening the new airport in 2027, in order to accommodate rapidly growing demand for air travel and address capacity constraints at the current gateway airport, Warsaw Chopin Airport, the facility of which is close to saturation.
The new gateway airport will be integrated with connecting railways, initially handling 45 million passengers per annum. The area surrounding the new airport will be developed as the airport city, forming the largest intermodal transportation hub in Eastern Europe. The Polish government’s goal is to ultimately serve up to 100 million passengers per year with the new hub, making the STH airport to be one of the 10 largest airports in the world.
The STH megaproject, which includes development of an airport city with facilities for trade, conventions, accommodation, leisure activities, and R&D, is expected to initiate sub-projects in its 3 component areas – airport, connecting transport facilities, and airport city – worth around 10 trillion won.
The Polish government is currently preparing to establish a master plan for the STH project. When the contractor for the master plan is selected, IIAC will provide consulting services in the overall process of creating the master plan as the Strategic Advisor.
< Content of the MOU and its significance >
The STH project is expected to stimulate broad cooperation and exchanges between the two countries in the field of infrastructure, as the areas of cooperation defined in the MOU cover not just the cooperation in airport policy between the two governments, which is necessary in shaping the plan for developing the STH airport, but also collaboration in building a transportation network, including railways, connecting the airport with city centers, as well as promoting urban development in areas surrounding the airport.
The MOU signed on the 26th is the first of its kind to be concluded between MOLIT and the Polish government in the field of transport infrastructure.
It will facilitate cooperative activities in diverse areas, such as sharing policies, information, experiences, and technical data in areas of common interest which include aviation, airport, urban development, and railway, exchanging visits of professionals and experts, and jointly participating in relevant international events and seminars.
Moreover, it may open up new opportunities related to the STH project for Korean businesses in the future, from exporting equipment to participating in areas including design, construction, and airport operation.
Minister Byeon said in his remarks, “Korea and Poland have maintained cooperative relations since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1989. This is a significant opportunity to strengthen the two countries’ strategic partnership and enhance mutually beneficial cooperation.”
He added, “I look forward to a substantial collaboration between the two countries in the field of public infrastructure, which encompasses not only airports, but also roads, railways, and urban development.”
President Kim of IIAC said, “It is indeed a great honor to be selected as the Strategic Advisor for the STH project, which holds immense significance for Poland’s economy and aviation industry.”
“Incheon International Airport Corporation will strive for the success of the STH project, using all our expertise and know-how. We will make every effort to further advance this cooperation and become the Strategic Partner for the STH project in the future.”