Passenger traffic through Minsk keeps growing

The upward trend continues since 2003 (Minsk National Airport)

Minsk airport served 1.035 million passengers between January and April this year, up 29.4% on the same period last year, the management reports. The number of aircraft movements for the same period increased 10.5% to 7,068. In April alone traffic grew 32.4% to 301,600 passengers, and the number of movements went up 10.8% year-on-year to 1,866.

In 2017, Belarus’s main airport welcomed its millionth passenger on April 28. Last year the occasion took place almost one month later, on May 26.

Traffic through Minsk has been growing since 2003. In the past 10 years the number of passengers increased more than fivefold. Last year the airport served 3.429 million passengers, up 23.2% on 2015.

One of the key drivers behind the double-digit traffic growth is the program being implemented by Minsk’s base airline Belavia to attract more transit passengers, including following the cessation of direct air services between Russia and Ukraine.

Minsk is the main airport of Belarus. Its single runway, which measures 3,461 m in length and 60 m in width, is capable of receiving all types of aircraft. Apart from Belavia, three freight operators base their aircraft at Minsk: Rubistar, Transaviaexport, and Genex. The airport serves flights performed by a total of 23 airlines to 40 different destinations.

A second runway is currently under construction at the airport. With a length of 3,700 m, it is expected to reduce the workload on the existing runway, which is nearing its service life limit. The new runway will even be able to receive the world’s heaviest aircraft, such as the Airbus A380 and the Antonov An-225 Mriya. Construction is scheduled to be completed in 2018.