VITALY MUTKO, MINISTER OF SPORTS OF RUSSIA, APPRAISED NEW ROSTOV-ON-DON AIRPORT CONSTRUCTION RATES
The new Rostov-on-Don airport complex will be finally ready for the transport service of participants and guests of FIFA 2018 World Football Cup matches, as will take place in the Don capital in summer 2018. Vitaly Mutko, the Minister of Sports of Russia, received evidence in that in the course of a working visit to the new Don capital “air gate” construction site. The Federal Agency Head, accompanied by Vasily Golubev, the Region Head, inspected the runway and appraised the construction readiness of main facilities of the airport complex, which will be in full compliance with FIFA stiff requirements made to airport infrastructure facilities serving global level competitions.
“The construction is a little ahead of schedule, all building and assembly jobs will be completed by July 2017, in order to conduct start-up works, airport testing and prepare the relocation of employees by December 2017, when serving airlines and passengers will start”, Sergei Krasnov, Rostovaeroinvest Executive Director explained in the course of construction site inspection tour. “In addition, the start-up of performing regular air flights from the new “air harbor” more than half-year prior to holding World Football Cup matches will allow to perfect all work technologies to the full extent and get ready for functioning in the peak load mode.
Note that the new terminal for domestic and international airlines will be fitted with equipment made by leading world producers, allowing thus to ensure the required level of quality, convenience, safety and efficiency in servicing passengers and handling their baggage. In particular, the passenger terminal will be equipped with jetways and lifts made by ThyssenKrupp concern, baggage handling systems of Alstef, a French firm, and screening equipment will help identifying explosives in automatic mode.
This is to remind that in accordance with “FIFA 2018 World Football Cup in Russia Transport Support Concept”, handling maximum passenger flow of 1,890.000 passengers per hour in one direction must be ensured in the new Rostov airport, and up to 65 aircraft simultaneous placement possibility should be provided. An important FIFA stipulation as well is that conditions of transport accessibility for persons with reduced mobility should be met: the new airport project provides for elevators and escalators at all walkways, upon level change, as well as widened passages. Furthermore, the new airport complex will be able to ensure airport capacity margin in addition to the basic load of 20% of stadium capacity (i.e. around 9,000.000 people for Rostov-on-Don), at the arrival and departure 10 hours prior to/after the match, as appropriate. Rostov-on-Don will host 5 World Cup matches, including 4 games at the group stage (on June 17, 20, 23 and 26, 2018) and 1 game at round of 16.
We remind that the new Rostov-on-Don airport complex is erected near stanitsa Grushevskaya of Aksay District. The projects provides for the construction of 3600 m-long artificial runway, a passenger terminal with the area of 50 thos.sq.m and annual capacity of 5 mln. passengers. The air terminal complex allows for installing up to 9 jetways.