Airports in Chelyabinsk .. What do we know about these transport hubs? Yes, in general, not too much. They are definitely not heard, unlike such huge airfields, such as Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Vnukovo in Moscow or Pulkovo in St. Petersburg, although you can still tell a lot of interesting things about them .
Airports of Chelyabinsk. general information
First of all, we note that today it would be rash to talk about the air gates of this city. The thing is that such a thing as “Chelyabinsk airports” has gone into the recent past of the times of the USSR. At that time there were several of them at once, both of local importance and with international status.
Now the airport in Chelyabinsk is one. True, he is one of the five best in all of Russia. Why? There are plenty of prerequisites for conferring such an honorary status. Thanks to the improved runways, the airport is capable of accepting any type of ship and fully complies with the first category of the ICAO standard. The duration of the runway is equal to 3200 m, and the width is 60 m.
The location of the airport is also very advantageous. It was built 18 km northeast of the capital of the South Urals. In general, initially, until 2008, the airport was called “Balandino” (in the village of the same name, which is 2 km away), and this is the name that usually pops up in a conversation about Chelyabinsk airports.
Today, this transport hub is divided into two parts:
- 1st sector, which serves domestic flights and is able to pass up to 300 people per hour;
- The 2nd sector, providing international flights service, serves up to 150 people per hour.
For a year, the airport is able to receive more than one and a half million passengers, and the flow increases every year. The object itself can be reached by car or by public transport: buses numbered 1, 41, 45 or minibus number 82 run quite regularly.
Airport History
The history of this transport hub spans over 80 years. The first plane to land on the Chelyabinsk runways was a ship with tail number Yu-13, which went along the route from Sverdlovsk through Chelyabinsk with the final landing in Magnitogorsk. It happened almost 100 years ago in mid-March 1930.
After the successful adoption of the Yu-13 in 1938, the airport terminal was opened.
Of course, nothing stands still and over time, and the capital of the Southern Urals itself turns into a large industrial and cultural center of the country. Air transport is developing .
Once the Shagol military airfield was renamed Balandino, and in 1953 a number of additional facilities were completed, including the airport terminal, the radio center building, the air complex services and the command building.
The year 1962 was marked by the appearance of a runway, which at that time was able to accept even TU-104 type jets .
After the commissioning of the new terminal building in 1974 and the emergence of opportunities for servicing ships of various types in the summer of 1994, the Chelyabinsk airfield receives the status of an international air complex.
Modern airport "Chelyabinsk"
Over time, all systems and, of course, equipment is updated. Today, Chelyabinsk is an airport whose schedule is constantly updated with newer and newer routes. Cooperating with more than fifteen airlines, he now serves flights in 34 directions: to Moscow, Sochi, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Krasnodar, Urengoy, Gelendzhik and many other cities. In addition to domestic flights, international airlines appear, the most popular among which are Dubai, Barcelona, Goa, Phuket and a number of other cities around the world.
In 2011, the influx of passengers reached a whopping 833,786 people, and in 2012 the number increased already to a million. And this, of course, is not the limit.
To simplify the flight and make it more comfortable, Chelyabinsk Airport provides a host of services for its customers:
- It is divided into a VIP zone and a Business lounge, both in the sector serving domestic flights and for international flights.
- The rooms of the mother and child are superbly equipped.
- While waiting for a flight, you can pass the time in one of the restaurants, cafes or bars.
- The Chelyabinsk airport information desk is open 24/7.
- For modern travelers, there are special WI-FI zones.
- The staff working at the ticket offices are helpful and very friendly.
- In the superbly equipped first-aid post, you can not only receive emergency help if necessary, but also consult with respect to the flight.
- At any time of the day, luggage storage and pre-packing services are provided.
- Motorists have convenient parking at their disposal.
- Chelyabinsk Airport has a modern online scoreboard, information from which is also displayed on the official website.