Rumors that the Zhukovsky airport will be reconstructed and will start working for civil aviation appeared relatively recently. Almost five years of work by several large companies - and already before the summer it is expected that in Moscow there will be another, fourth in a row, large transport hub that accepts international flights.
History
It appeared in 1941 and was originally designed exclusively for military space needs. Then it was called Ramenskoye and served for test flights. Later, it was from this site that they were taken to Baikonur by Burana cargo planes. So, until 1991, it was here that test flights of almost all domestic helicopters and other aircraft were carried out. Formally, it is still called Ramenskoye today, although several sources from time to time report plans to adopt as the official name of the one that has been used in everyday life almost since its inception - Zhukovsky - after the name of the neighboring city.
Opportunities
On the territory of 950 hectares there are 2 runways, and one of them isthe longest in Russia and Europe. In addition, there are places for aircraft parking, hangars, warehouses, various technical buildings designed for a variety of needs. Ramenskoye has no restrictions on the types of aircraft accepted or take-off weight.
However, until recently, undeveloped infrastructure and relatively poor transport accessibility did not allow Zhukovsky airport to be considered as the fourth air harbor serving the needs of the capital. Everything changed in 2014, when investors were found who were ready to invest more than 10 billion rubles in the development of Ramenskoye.
Modern usage
Since 1992, once every two years, Zhukovsky airport has hosted the famous MAKS air show, which gathers a huge number of people every week - more than a million spectators who want to admire demonstration flights, look at old aircraft, and go on an excursion. In addition, specialists and representatives of large companies in the industry come here, of course, to evaluate new products and, possibly, sign contracts.
Since 2010, a forum dedicated to domestic engineering has also been held here every two years, which is still less popular than MAKS, but has quite good prospects.
However, the Zhukovsky airport for ten years - from 1991 to 2001 - was used for its intended purpose, though not for a wide audience. A large number of freighters departed from here.commercial flights, transit aircraft refueled here.
At some point, it became obvious that the capital's airports were loaded to the limit and simply could not cope with the load. And then, in addition to the partial reconstruction of the existing harbors, it was decided to commission another one.
Location
So, Zhukovsky airport - how to get to this air hub? It is located 20 kilometers southeast of the capital. It is expected that the road from Kazansky railway station to the airport on the so-called air express will take no more than an hour. Zhukovsky International Airport will also be able to receive motorists; several parking lots with a total capacity of more than 10,000 cars are provided on its territory. Transport accessibility will also be ensured through the reconstruction of the Novoryazanskoye highway, which will become wider, which will provide more traffic and reduce traffic jams.
Immediate prospects
The first passenger terminal could have opened its doors back in 2015, partially unloading the rest of the airports. However, due to the fact that Dobrolet, which was planned to be relocated here, ceased to exist due to Western sanctions, the start of operation was postponed indefinitely. Now we are talking about the fact that the airport will mainly use a subsidiary of Aeroflot called Pobeda, which also positions itself on the market as a low-cost airline. Besides,some formalities are still pending, such as a government decree allowing flights from the new air harbor.
Now it is said that the Zhukovsky airport, whose photos appear in all newspapers, will be the first to receive passengers before the end of May 2016. It is expected that already in this calendar period it will be able to serve the flow of almost 2 million people, somewhat reducing the load on other air harbors. It is quite possible that Zhukovsky will become the base for the so-called low-cost airlines, which, due to the need for increased turnover of funds, need to quickly service their ships and minimize the time between landing and a new take-off.
Further plans
Already, the reconstruction of Zhukovsky is scheduled until 2021. Within its framework, two passenger terminals with a total area of about 60,000 square meters will be built. It is expected that by the time construction is completed, the maximum capacity will be 12 million passengers per year. Also, it is not always necessary to solve the question of how to get to Zhukovsky airport, because during connecting flights it will be possible to spend the night at a local hotel, and not waste time on the road. Office buildings, a large aircraft maintenance center, etc. will appear on its territory. In addition to obvious advantages, this will give local residents jobs.
