In the end of August in Kharkiv the new terminal of the airport in building of which by the Ukrainian billionaire, the general investor and the co-ordinator of preparation of a city to Euro-2012 invested more than million will be put in operation. Modern air terminal from glass and concrete experts consider the first step on a way to transformation of International airport "Kharkiv" to one of the largest transport knots of the Eastern Europe.
Air Gate is opening
Kharkiv terminal was supposed to be the first in many decades of oblivion new terminal building, which will appear in Ukraine thanks to Euro 2012. But Borispol airport didn`t allow Kharkiv to become the first. History of determining the date of opening is simple - August 24 is the City day in "first capital", so the "feast of gaining wings" was moved to August 28, Aviation Day of Ukraine. Borispol was not so scrupulous, so one of the palms of victory was given by International Airport "Kharkiv" to their capital colleagues.
But the opening of the new terminal does not become less significant for the country's development - not for nothing there, according to informed sources, gather the first persons in the country. On the account of the International Airport "Kharkiv" there are several records. First, this is the first private terminal in the history of Ukraine. Its construction was funded entirely by Aleksandr Yaroslavskyy as a private investor and costed nearly $ 55 million Second, the project was implemented in record short time – they began to build a terminal in the summer of 2008. Thirdly, it is one of the few objects of national transport infrastructure, which was created "from scratch".
And finally, this is the third object of preparation for Euro 2012, which is already with a clear conscience can be demonstrated to UEFA inspectors as fully ready for the future continent's football championship. Moreover, the second in Kharkiv, where late last year, has already been opened the reconstructed by the same Yaroslavskyy Metalist stadium.
How it all began
The history of civil aircraft of Ukraine originates in this city. Here on March, 26th, 1923 joint-stock company "Ukrvozdukhput" has been founded, the organisation of regular flights was one of tasks of which. On May, 25th, 1924 the first regular passenger lines of "Ukrvozdukhput" have been opened: Kharkiv-Poltava-Kyiv and Kharkiv-Kirovograd-Odessa. In 1928 the first international flights on a route Kharkiv-Teheran have started to be carried out.
Initially soil runway was on northern suburb of a city (now the aircraft factory is located there). In the thirties the airport have been transferred on southern suburb, there, where it is to this day. The existing air terminal (the old terminal) has been built in post-war years on a standard project developed by Moscow scientific research institute "Aeroproject". Similar terminals have appeared in Lviv, Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk and other cities of the USSR. Air terminal building has begun in 1951, and its opening has been dated for grandiose celebrating of the 300 anniversary of reunion of Ukraine with Russia (1954). Already to the beginning of 70`s Kharkiv airport annually served to 600 thousand passengers, and in 10 years this figure has increased to 900 thousand persons. To the beginning of 90`s more than 150 flights was daily carried out that is equivalent to 2 million passengers a year.
Unfortunately, this is much bigger than that indicator which Kharkiv airport has today. Air gate of a city is used by about 200-250 thousand persons last years. And this is with the fact that almost 4 million potential passengers live in the region - without speaking about inhabitants of the neighboring areas of Ukraine and Russia! To take at least such indicator: today about 550-600 thousand of Kharkiv citizens have to fly through Kyiv, and this many people – through Dnipropetrivsk and Donetsk. The volume of passenger traffic was reduced to scanty figures, regular flights fly only to some CIS countries (Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia), Austria and Israel. Plus charter flights to Turkey and Montenegro. The runway is not capable to take modern planes according to the technical characteristics, the conditions for passengers are more than ascetic. For a megacity of such scale as Kharkiv, not to have the normal airport - is the same as to close a window to the outside world with own hands.
Patriotism - as a lifestyle
Yaroslavskyy himself is sure that airport reconstruction was necessary even without Euro-2012 in Ukraine. «Kharkiv is a large industrial city, the centre of the whole industrial region. Kharkiv is a traffic intersection not only of Ukrainian, but also the European scale. It is a shame to have such antediluvian airport, as we have now. Reconstruction was necessary, and it would be spent sooner or later. It`s just Euro-2012 has accelerated this process», - Aleksandr Yaroslavskyy says.
The billionaire explains the interest in the project with love to a native city: «I am a Kharkiv citizen. I here live, and I am not going to leave anywhere from here. Also I will invest in the native city because I believe in it». Yaroslavskyy is indignant: «In such a city as Kharkiv, in the third millenium was such an antediluvian airport as until recently is a shame! After all our passengers are not only Kharkiv citizens, and all those who live, for example, in Poltava, in Sumy, in Belgorod. Understand, what the traffic can be? And these are not just passengers, these are investments, they are people who will arrive to Kharkiv with something to spend, with someone to meet, make any business. The development of the city is impossible without the airport!». And personally begins every day on building of the airport which finally by 2012 will cost him more, than million
Building of a century
Works at the Kharkiv airport are spent in some stages. First, this is building of the new terminal and restoration of an existing premise. Secondly, runway reconstruction. Thirdly, the creation of temporary reverse terminal which will be used during Euro-2012 matches.
The new terminal will become one of the modern ones in territory of the Eastern Europe. It is equipped with latest technics. Aeroport IT decisions have been put by company "SITA" (Switzerland), the customs equipment – the company “RAPISCAN Systems” (USA) etc. The international airport "Kharkiv" will become the first airport in Ukraine, where the modern system of baggage handling (BHS) (productivity – 960 units of luggage/hour for the international flights and 600 units of luggage/hour for internal flights) from company Vanderlande Industries (Netherlands) will work. The terminal area makes more than 20 thousand sq. m that allows it to pass to 1300 passengers per hour. In air terminal territory there will be numerous shops, cafe and other additional services.
Reconstruction of the old terminal with "productivity" of 250 people per hour will last all next year, object delivery in operation is planned for December.«During Euro-2012 the old terminal will serve for reception of teams - participants, and also representatives of "UEFA family”. After the football championship it will be used as the terminal for VIP-persons», - says Mr. Vitaliy Nedashkovskiy, the assistant to the general director on strategic development "New Systems AM” (the operator of the airport, is a part of DCH group). Also the construction of the temporery terminal with the area in 5,2 thousand sq. m and capacity of about 1000 passengers at an o'clock is planned to Euro-2012. As to an air field part, here building of a new runway, reconstruction of platforms, a construction of rescue station and of dispatcher tower, and also installation of light-signal system and system of means of landing of planes are planned. All it will allow to take in Kharkiv the aircrafts Boeing and Airbus. Money for an air field part of the project is allocated by state, but the general coordinator of whole project of reconstruction of International airport "Kharkiv" is Aleksandr Yaroslavskyy personally.
Instead of an epilogue
And the last thing. In spite of the fact that the new terminal only prepares for opening, it already has had time to draw attention of all aviation world. For example, in June here was the International aeroforum Routes CIS (for the first time in territory of the CIS). It has brought together 785 participants from 35 countries, among them there were heads of airlines, the airports, service providers and the equipment for branch.
During the event there were arrangements on expansion of geography of the aircraft service between Kharkiv and the European capitals reached. Besides, thanks to an aeroforum, for the first time there was one of the largest budgetary carriers of the world on CIS market — the Irish company "Ryanair". The airport management is sure that after Irish other carriers which will offer passengers accessible air flights will be also pulled to Kharkiv. And it means that the rank of one of the largest transport knots of the Eastern Europe for Kharkiv is quite tangible prospect of the next years.
Focus, August, 13, 2010
