Sheremetyevo Opens Reconstructed Runway One

MOSCOW, Dec. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sheremetyevo International Airport commissioned its newly reconstructed runway one (Runway-1) on December 24th in a ceremony that featured a parade of airfield equipment.

With the commissioning of Runway-1, which features two new high-speed-exit taxiways, the capacity of Sheremetyevo airfield's three runways will increase to 110 million passengers per year.  

Officials participating in the commissioning ceremony were Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation V.G. Saveliev, First Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation and Head of the Federal Air Transport Agency A.V. Neradko, First Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation M.V. Babich, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of the Russian Federation for Supporting the Activities of the State Council of the Russian Federation A.A. Yurchik, Director General of PJSC Aeroflot M.I. Poluboyarinov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of JSC SIA A.A. Ponomarenko, member of the Board of Directors of JSC SIA A.I. Skorobogatko and Director General of JSC SIA M.M. Vasilenko.

"We were able to do the reconstruction of Runway-1, which is an important stage in the development of the airfield complex thanks to the current concession agreement between the government, represented by Rosaviatsia, and Sheremetyevo airport," said Alexander Ponomarenko. "As a result, today we have three runways, which, together with the development of terminal capacity and in the context of normalizing passenger traffic volume, provide an opportunity to achieve our strategic goal: serving 110 million passengers per year."

Participants and guests of the event witnessed a unique large-scale parade of airfield equipment in which a convoy of 38 items of special equipment used for the maintenance of the summer field and various aircraft traveled through the new Runway-1. Thanks to its powerful technical armament and hundreds of effective airfield equipment pieces and vehicles, the airport provides a high degree of punctuality, reliability and flight safety even in extreme weather conditions.

Reconstruction of RWY-1 has been a priority project for 2020 as part of the implementation of the Long-term Development Program of Sheremetyevo Airport. The total capital investment exceeded $114 million. The project was funded directly, and investments made under the terms of the concession agreement will be recouped from the investment component of the aircraft take-off and landing fees.

Construction work was competed in record time, within 10 months during a period of significant decline in the airport's activities and revenue and the need to comply with strict anti-epidemiological measures. Construction and installation work proceeded without interruption while the airport was operational. Takeoff and landing operations at the airfield were performed on the existing Runway-2 and Runway-3 while Runway-1 was closed for reconstruction. This has been a unique project for the international aviation industry in terms of its technological complexity and short lead time.

Runway-1 is 3552.5 meters long, with a load-bearing section that measures 60 meters wide. The runway can accommodate all types and modifications of Russian and foreign aircraft for takeoff and landing, including the Airbus A380, as well as future anticipated aircraft types.

The commissioning of a new airspace structure and the operation of three runways at Sheremetyevo airport will improve the fuel efficiency of airlines and the safety and punctuality of flights, and also will reduce the workload on traffic-control and flight personnel through the use of conflict-free arrival and departure patterns.

The modern airfield and terminal infrastructure of Sheremetyevo open up broad opportunities for long-term growth and development for base air carriers and new airlines.

In the long term, taking into account the further development of infrastructure and bringing passenger and cargo terminals to their design capacity, Sheremetyevo International Airport plans to join the league of the world's largest aviation hubs and strengthen its status as the main transit air hub between Europe and Asia.

Sheremetyevo International Airport is among the TOP-10 airport hubs in Europe, the largest Russian airport in terms of passenger and cargo traffic. The route network comprises more than 230 destinations. In 2019, the airport served 49 million 933 thousand passengers, which is 8.9% more than in 2018. Sheremetyevo, being the best European airport in terms of quality of services, the absolute world leader in punctual flights, is the holder of the highest 5-star Skytrax rating.

Additional information can be found on the website www.svo.aero.

SOURCE Sheremetyevo International Airport