Moscow opens fourth int'l airport

A new international airport opened Monday, located some 40 km southeast of Moscow, in addition to the already existing three serving the Russian capital.

The new airport named Zhukovsky was built on the basis of a major airfield used by military aircraft, cargo planes and aircraft of the Emergency Situations Ministry.

The new airport is meant to service low-cost, cargo and charter airlines, said a statement of the Russian state technology corporation Rostec which controls 25 percent of the airport's development project.

"Our main task today is to complete raising Zhukovsky airport to the international level in terms of passenger traffic, as well as providing high-quality passenger service, air freight and logistics for companies, shippers and consignees," Rostec CEO Sergei Chemezov said in the statement.

The territory of the airport with a 5.5 km runway occupies a total area of 17,600 square km and is capable of servicing 2 million passengers a year.

This number will rise to 6 million passengers in 2017 and to 12 million passengers in 2020, when the total area occupied by cargo and passenger terminals will reach 60,000 square km, the statement said, adding that hotel and shopping mall would also be built.

According to Chemezov, the project is of great value, as it could attract significant additional economic investment in the Moscow region and create over 10,000 new jobs by 2020.

Nevertheless, the statement did not specify when the first flight from the new airport is expected to take place. Endit