SHEREMETYEVO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
AIMING HIGH
SHEREMETYEVO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
SINCE 2017, THE AIRPORT HAS BEEN INVESTING IN NEW INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITIES AIMED AT CREATING ATTRACTIVE CONDITIONS FOR AIRLINES AND HIGH-QUALITY PASSENGER SERVICES, TO JOIN THE RANKS OF THE LARGEST AIR HUBS IN THE WORLD.
AIMING HIGH PROJECT MANAGED BY: GARY SMITH
Sheremetyevo International Airport, the largest Russian airport and one of the biggest in the world in terms of traffic, launched an extensive airport development programme a few years ago, which is set to continue, despite the envisaged aviation changes resulting from the recent pandemic.
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“S
heremetyevo International Airport, located some 30 km north-west of central Moscow, is now the busiest airport in Russia and ranks second in Europe in terms of the growth of its route network. Originally built as a military airbase, it was converted into a civilian airport in 1959. Over
the years the airport has been expanded and modernised, becoming a gateway to international sports, cultural and political events. The airport served more than 460,000 international passengers during the 1980 Olympic Games. In the late 2000s, Sheremetyevo saw rapid expansion and in 2019
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SHEREMETYEVO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
An aerial view of Sheremetyevo’s Terminal D
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its six terminals covering about 570,000 m2 handled almost 50 million passengers. “Sheremetyevo has undergone extensive development in the last few years,” acknowledged Chairman of the Board of Directors Mr Alexander Ponomarenko, a successful Russian businessman and investor. With a background in banking, real estate and seaports, he moved into airport construction when his company TPS Avia won the tender in 2013 to develop the NTC (Northern Terminal Complex) at Sheremetyevo and committed to investing US$1 billion in the airport’s development. This included a new passenger terminal, a new freight terminal, a refuelling area and a tunnel linking the passenger terminal to three other terminals. In February 2016, TPS Avia secured a 66% stake in Sheremetyevo Airport and committed to further investment in upgrading and expanding the airport’s infrastructure.
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“We saw this as a very attractive investment opportunity, and it came when the airport was in an unstable situation, heavily burdened with debts, to modernise one of the main terminals. We financially secured not only four projects in the NTC but also future development,” said Mr Ponomarenko. He explained that as Sheremetyevo International Airport was the official airport of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, a lot of work had to be done to make passengers comfortable and welcome. “The construction of Terminal B was a quantum leap in terms of infrastructure and service improvement, implemented on time, and increasing capacity to handle passengers for the tournament.”
INVESTING IN DEVELOPMENT
Between 2017 and 2020, a stateof-the-art cargo complex, third refuelling complex, Terminal B, inter-terminal tunnel, new car parks, large hangar complex
for aircraft maintenance for Aeroflot and other facilities were all commissioned. Over that period, investment has amounted to over 1.2 billion dollars, transforming the airport into one of the best and most efficient hubs in the world.
“THE CONSTRUCTION OF TERMINAL B WAS A QUANTUM LEAP IN TERMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICE IMPROVEMENT, IMPLEMENTED ON TIME, AND INCREASING CAPACITY TO HANDLE PASSENGERS FOR THE TOURNAMENT.” BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM
SHEREMETYEVO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
In January 2020, the airport achieved yet another milestone, opening its brand-new Terminal C designed for international traffic. The terminal, built as part of a long-term airport development programme and forming part of the Northern Terminal Complex (Terminals B, C) of Sheremetyevo Airport, has the capacity to accommodate 20 million passengers per year. “As you can imagine, commissioning a terminal is a complex thing and we wanted to avoid any mishaps. We did our best to ensure the smooth operation of the new terminal - we ran a range of tests using volunteers to test and fine-tune all the systems and ensure their optimum efficiency,” noted Mr Ponomarenko. This has been fully achieved. The terminal complex comprises the main three-floor passenger terminal building with a total area of 127,375 square meters,
Mr Alexander Ponomarenko, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Sheremetyevo Airports
The passenger entrance at Sheremetyevo’s Terminal B
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SHEREMETYEVO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
and a roofed six-level parking lot for 2,500 vehicles that is connected to the terminal via a pedestrian crossing. Terminal С forms a single space together with Terminal B. Uniting the buildings under one roof was one of the toughest challenges of the entire construction cycle, said Mr Ponomarenko. This singlespace enables passengers to make use of the services and technical facilities offered by both terminals while allowing transfer passengers to move
quickly between terminals through the transit area.
THE WAY FORWARD
While the airport has been forced to put certain investments on hold temporarily as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the key projects planned for this year - the reconstruction of the airport’s first runway and the modernisation of its baggage handling system - will not be affected and both will be commissioned by the end of this year.
Mr Ponomarenko affirmed that after the months of lockdown, traffic volume is slowly picking up again, and it is hoped that recovery will be achieved within the next twelve months. As one of the biggest and most attractive employers in Russia with a staff of nearly 19,000, the airport’s development lies, to a great extent, in the hands of its staff. “The corporate culture, the quality of our personnel is very important to us. Only with the right people, their skills, commitment and dedication,
The view from the underground passenger train that connects Sheremetyevo’s southern and northern sectors. Trains depart every 4 minutes.
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SHEREMETYEVO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
The Chagall Business Lounge in Sheremetyevo’s new nternational Terminal C.
“WE HAVE WORKED HARD TO RAISE SHEREMETYEVO’S PROFILE AND MOST OF ALL, TO IMPROVE THE PASSENGER EXPERIENCE. THE FACT THAT WE HAVE BEEN VOTED THE NUMBER ONE AIRPORT IN EUROPE IN TERMS OF QUALITY OF SERVICE CONFIRMS THAT WE HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB.” BUSINESSFOCUSMAGAZINE.COM
their daily contributions, could we have achieved so much in the last few years.” And the achievements are indeed impressive: since 2017 saw Sheremetyevo top the ASQ ACI programme’s ranking for customer service among the largest airports in Europe whose passenger traffic exceeded 40 million per year. According to an analytical study conducted by British company Stasher, Sheremetyevo was recognized as the best airport in the world and also earned an award for Number One in-flight punctuality in 2019. Forbes also rated Sheremetyevo as the most comfortable Russian airport in 2019. “We are a very well-run company with a hard-working, hands-on Board of Directors aiming to achieve further
improvements and working toward our strategic goal of serving 100 million passengers per year by 2030. Today, Sheremetyevo Airport is the largest airport in Russia and a critical part of the global transportation system. Our leading position among Europe’s major airports in terms of flight punctuality and passenger service quality proves that the business strategy we have chosen is a sound one.” “We have worked hard to raise Sheremetyevo’s profile and most of all, to improve the passenger experience. The fact that we have been voted the Number One airport in Europe in terms of quality of service confirms that we have done a good job.”
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SHEREMETYEVO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
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