The Novosibirsk Airport (Tolmachevo) is the largest east of the Urals air transit hub located on the main routes between Europe and Asia. The concentration of rail, road and water transportation routes in Novosibirsk, the expansion of trade and economic relations of the Siberian Federal District of Russian and foreign partners, the development of infrastructure in the region contribute to the development of the Tolmachevo Airport as a major air transport hub.
Airfield
In technical terms, the Tolmachevo airfield is an "A" class aerodrome. Its technical facilities enable the airport to handle all types of cargo and passenger aircraft – one of the few airports in the country with this capacity. On the airport’s apron there is a heated hangar with two repair platforms.
The airport’s infrastructure includes two runways: one certified as ICAO Category I, the other as Category II. The high throughput capacity of the aerodrome complex and the potential and high-quality surface of the runways make it possible to receive all types of aircraft and to handle up to 40 take-off and landing operations per hour ( while keeping to the average minimum safety interval of 3 minutes).In technical terms, the Tolmachevo airfield is an "A" class aerodrome. Its technical facilities enable the airport to handle all types of cargo and passenger aircraft – one of the few airports in the country with this capacity. On the airport’s apron there is a heated hangar with two repair platforms.
The airport’s infrastructure includes two runways: one certified as ICAO Category I, the other as Category II. The high throughput capacity of the aerodrome complex and the potential and high-quality surface of the runways make it possible to receive all types of aircraft and to handle up to 40 take-off and landing operations per hour ( while keeping to the average minimum safety interval of 3 minutes).
There are 62 stands for all types of aircraft on the apron, 17 of them equipped with a centralized aircraft refueling system with a capacity of 900 cubic meters per hour. A Boeing 747 can be refueled in 40 minutes. The purity of the jet fuel, which is suitable for refueling both Russian and foreign aircraft, is controlled at all stages, from its arrival in railway tank-trucks to its delivery to the aircraft.
There are currently around 100 airlines linking Novosibirsk with Russian, CIS and foreign cities. Tolmachevo Airport is the third largest in the Asian part of Russia, with a runway certified under ICAO Category II, whose surface enables the airport to receive all types of aircraft, regardless of take-off weight, even in difficult weather conditions, making Tolmachevo Airport virtually weatherproof.
Perspectives of development
The basis for the development of Tolmachevo International Airport as a major air transport hub is the General Plan of Enterprise Development. Tolmachevo Airport is one of the most intensively developing airports of federal importance. The reconstruction of the international and domestic terminals has been completed; the 2nd runway, the cargo terminal and the “Sky Port” Hotel are now in operation. The total area of the domestic and international terminals has doubled. The terminals’ capacity has increased from 1200 to 2250 passengers per hour.
One of the main stages in the realization of the General Plan was the opening of a multifunctional cargo-mail terminal in 2007. The total area of the cargo complex is 11,200 sq. m. The technical characteristics of the facility mean that it can handle all types of aviation cargo, including perishable, dangerous and radioactive goods. No cargo terminals beyond the Urals can currently be compared with this modern intermodal logistic cargo terminal. In 2007 the French company "ADPi Designers & Planners", which undertakes the complex design and development of airports and airport infrastructures all over the world, began design work on a new C-class passenger terminal at Tolmachevo Airport. The total area of the terminal, which will be able to receive all types of aircraft of domestic and international airlines, will be about 85 000 sq. m., with a capacity of 5.5 million passengers per year.
The airport’s long-term development plans include the construction of a new catering facility with a production capacity of 8000 meals a day, a second four-star hotel with 600 beds, and covered parking for 700 cars. It is also planned to build a new apron and a hangar for two D-class aircraft. In the near future Tolmachevo Airport, along with the status of the largest airport in Siberia and the Far East, will acquire the status of a business and entertainment center. This will be made possible by the construction of an exhibition hall and congress center with a total area of 125,000 square meters, as well as a shopping and entertainment center of 50,000 square meters. All these projects will be implemented on the basis of public-private partnership. The total investment will exceed 700 million dollars.
Services
Airport also modernize it's infrastructure. The construction of new comfortable hotel "SkyPort" is finished. There was organized an express bus connection between Tolmachevo and Novosibirsk city center, which allowed passengers to reduce the travel time to the airport almost twice. Tolmachevo launched new version of corporate web-site, cargo delivery service "from door to door" with unified consignment note, the system of "on-line cargo tracking" for consignors, self-service check-in points, grounds handling equipment is being modernized.
