New terminal at Strigino Airport starts serving domestic flights

Strigino Airport's new terminal enters service (Photo by Airports of Regions)

The new terminal at Nizhny Novgorod’s Strigino Airport—a part of Airports of Regions Holding—has officially been opened and is now serving domestic flights. International flights will be transferred to the new building in the second quarter of 2016, after the border transition check-point becomes operational, the airport’s management company announced in a statement. The airport’s reconstruction is being carried through as preparation for the 2018 World Cup.

The new building, designed by British firm Hintan Associates, has an area of 27,200 square meters and features spacious waiting lounges, baggage claim zones and cutting-edge technological solutions, including security screening equipment. Seventeen check-in counters and a new security screening area will serve both international and domestic travelers. The terminal’s annual capacity is expected to exceed 1.5 million passengers. It has four jetways, 18 endoscopes and four luggage belts.

The construction has faced several delays since it was started in the summer of 2014; these delays are blamed on the project’s general contractor, Czech company PSJ. The cost of the project is evaluated at 4.5 billion rubles (66.5 million dollars). The terminal started operating under a test regime in early March. Within the airport reconstruction project the main runway and the secondary runway, which is currently used as a taxiway, will be extended and renovated.