A Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM A3347/26) issued at 22:47 UTC on 11 November closed runway 15/33 at Warsaw’s Frederic Chopin Airport for maintenance until 04:00 UTC on 12 November. The six-hour closure, covering both take-offs and landings, forced several late-evening arrivals – including LOT services from Brussels and Istanbul – to hold or divert to Kraków and Łódź. Airport operator PPL said the emergency works were needed to repair pavement damage detected during an Independence Day military fly-past rehearsal. While the second runway remained available, prevailing cross-winds exceeded limits for certain regional jets, prompting airlines to reroute. For corporate travellers the disruption was modest but instructive. Passengers arriving on diverted flights faced onward ground transfers of up to three hours, while outbound red-eye connections to Asia were delayed between 45 and 90 minutes. Travel-management companies report that most carriers rebooked passengers automatically, but lounge access and hotel vouchers varied by airline. The episode underscores the value of monitoring NOTAM feeds in real time – particularly during periods of heightened airspace activity around national holidays. Mobility teams should encourage travellers to enable airline app notifications and to carry Schengen-wide rail e-tickets as a back-up for short-haul repositioning should Warsaw experience further overnight closures during the winter-maintenance season.
Source: NOTAC (A3347/26)
