|
Monday, 28.05.2007
Airport rises from ashes to become hub between East and West
Kaliningrad. Kalinigrad’s Chrabrowo airport is currently undergoing a modernisation programme costing millions of dollars. The regional airline KD-avia intends to transform the airport into an air hub between Russia and Western Europe.
|
|
If you happen to fly to Kaliningrad now, you’ll be in for a big surprise: Someone’s given the airport a lick of paint. And that’s just for starters!
|
The “International Airport” might still seem a little Soviet, from the creaky gangway to the cracked car park and absent shuttle bus. But freshly painted walls, a coffee dispenser and panorama windows have made a difference in the terminal building.
|
Soon to move to the main terminal
|
The fact that Kaliningrad airport’s “Internationale Terminal” has had a make-over at all is surprising: Because soon the terminal is to rejoin the main complex on the other side of the runways. The main building has just had a complete ‘federal’ overhaul, a megaproject funded by Moscow to the tune of 15 million euros. In Kaliningrad-Chrabrovo, passengers will have everything they expect elsewhere: restaurants, shops, hotspots, service terminal. There will also be bus and train shuttles to Kaliningrad city and to beach resorts.
|
Runways widen
|
In parallel to the renovation of the terminal building, Russia’s most modern control tower is being built. Runways are being doubled in length and widened so that long-distance planes can use the airport.
|
The whole expense would make little sense, if Kalingrad was to stay what it has been until now: a provincial airport, with only three flights weekly to Berlin, and a couple of lines to Petersburg and Moscow.
|
Taking-off: a KD-avia Boeing(photo: Plath/.rufo)
|
But Kaliningrad’s KD-Avia, which also owns the airport, is planning to take off in a really big way. The large-scale modernisation of the airport marks the start of a project that even optimists regarded as being far-fetched – until being proved wrong.
|
The Baltic Sea exclave is to become a hub betweeen Russian regional and Western European airports. With Moscow’s blessing – and large subsidies: The Federal Development Programme will fund the upgrade of the Kaliningrad airport with a further 1.3 billion rubles (approx. 37 million euros). This will fund increased terminal handling capacity from the current 15 to 45 planes per day.
|
From the Thames to the Volga
|
East-West hub? From Novosibirsk, Nizhni Nowgorod, Yekaterinenburg, Ufa, Samara to Russia’s Amber-on-Sea, and then on to Paris, London, Hamburg or Berlin. Or vice versa. That’s the plan for the future.
|
In view of the growth in passenger and freight anticipated in coming years between major cities in Russia and the EU, KD-avia is betting on Kaliningrad’s crucial geopolitical position.
|
And their statistics seem to prove their point: Alone in 2006, passenger traffic increased by 250%. For 2007, KD-avia expects to fly 1.5 million passengers.
|
To this end, the airline is expanding its routes. As of 15th June, KD-avia will fly Hamburg, Hanover, Dusseldorf, Munich and Berlin.
|
Russian jets retired
|
The new routes presented in June by KD-avia between Kaliningrad and Berlin, Brussels and Athens, means that the company has to be taken seriously. Also in the low cost segment: KD-avia flights already undercut the offers of most Russian and Western competitors.
|
On a Russian scale, the carrier is racing ahead of its peers: It has been the first Russian airline to introduce Internet ticket booking (www.kdavia.ru). It has also completely retired the obsolete, gas-guzzling Tupolev’s in favour of modern and comfortable Boeing 737-300. KD-avia currently operates 12 of these medium-range jets, and this year will acquire a further eight.
|
The champagne corks are popping at KD-avia. Especially now that the first stage of the airport renovation is complete: The opening on 23rd June features a gigantic rock concert starring Joe Cocker, the Scorpions and ZZ-Top.
(Thoralf Plath/.rufo/Kaliningrad)
|
|
