NORILSK, September 24. /TASS/. The runway reconstruction at Norilsk’s Alykel airport, the main air hub in the Krasnoyarsk Region, is over. The runway has served first flights, Head of the Russian aviation authority, Rosaviatsiya, Alexander Neradko told reporters on Monday.

"The runway’s reconstruction is over. A runway is a key element of any airport’s infrastructure. <…> The first landing has been performed. <…> Flights to Norilsk are safer now, the runway has new radio-technical and light equipment," he said.

The reconstruction continued for three summer seasons. It is a unique experience in the Russian and international practice - the construction in the permafrost conditions is made in due time and quality. Thus, as the works’ third stage is over, the federal authority has issued a respective certificate to the airport.

The current year was the busiest in the renovation cycle. Pilots had to use a shortened runway. Before the works, all crews took special training in using the limited runway in complicated weather conditions.

The Captain of a Boeing 737-800, which landed on the new runway on Monday, Sergei Kruchinin, said the runway complies fully with the European standards and it is different from the old runway like a Mercedes car from an outdated vehicle.

Plans for 2019

"Next year, we shall have another construction season, but the stage of renovating the runway is over," Nornickel’s Senior Vice President Sergei Batekhin told a briefing. "The passengers will not meet any inconveniences here."

In 2019, the works will include certain renovation of the terminal, construction of a service road, and other airport infrastructures.

Reconstruction

The Norilsk airport’s reconstruction is a key stage in development of the Arctic zone. The Norilsk airport is a federal hub, which after the reconstruction will be among the up-to-date airport complexes in the Russian Arctic.

The federal budget allocates for reconstruction of the airport’s facilities 7.6 billion rubles ($115 million), and the Norilsk Nickel Company (Nornickel), which owns the property, invests more than 5 billion rubles ($75.7 million).