February 10, 2007
source: www.kazpravda.kz

New landing strip in Almaty airport will receive vessels in any weather conditions, Serik Ahmetov, RK minister of transport and communications and Imangali Tassmagambetov, Almaty mayor said at the meeting.

At present the airport has a second degree of technical equipment: it means that minimal flight visibility is 200-250 meters, landing visibility – 350 meters. A week ago visibility was 50-150 meters, that is why many flights were cancelled. Serik Ahmetov apologized for discomfort though it is not the airport services’ fault.

But no flight will be postponed because of bad weather conditions. New landing strip with length 4,5 km, its super modern navigation equipment will enable flights irrespective of fog, etc. The strip’s cost is KZT 6,5 bln, besides RK Government allocated EUR 40 mln for navigation equipment.

The airport will be third of this kind of equipment after Sheremetievo in Moscow and Pulkovo, St. Petersburg, Almaty mayor said.

In 2006 construction of first block of multi-modal terminal, largest in Central Asia is completed. It increased export and import volumes. Second block will be commissioned in September. New business terminal for charter flights and governmental delegations is ready for commissioning. Hangar for business aviation is being constructed too.

But most ambitious project is construction of another passenger terminal for international flights and creation of large infrastructure complex in “Airport-city”. At present design works are underway.

First block of new terminal in the form of honeycombs will help serve 2 500 passengers a day and 2 mln a year. “Marriot” hotels, expo-centers, business centers, conference halls, cinemas and shopping facilities will be constructed there. Second line is to be commissioned by 2014. Volume of passenger flow will reach 4 mln people.

Everyday routine of air companies was the subject of the meeting. Special significance was attached to improvement of service quality. Authorities of “Air Astana” and Almaty International Airport were instructed to emulate experience of such air centers as Singapore and Frankfurt.

author: Olga Malahova