The third runway at Sheremetyevo International Airport was commissioned on 19 September 2019. The Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation on environmental issues, ecology and transport S.B. Ivanov, Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation E.I. Dietrich, Head of the Federal Air Transport Agency A.V. Neradko, Governor of the Moscow Region A.Yu. Vorobyov, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of MASH JSC A.A. Ponomarenko participated in the opening ceremony. Others who participated in the event included the leadership of specialized organizations and airlines.
Alexander Neradko presented Alexander Ponomarenko with a new certificate of conformity for the airport. Additionally, participants of the event watched the first plane land on Runway-3, Aeroflot SU 019 from St. Petersburg to Moscow. The passengers on the aircraft were greeted with a water arch, a traditional aviation salute.
In his address to the audience, the head of the Ministry of Transport emphasized the importance of the opening of the runway for the entire Moscow aviation hub. “Today we witness the commissioning of a completely new quality of infrastructure. The first two lanes at Sheremetyevo operate in dependent mode. Their removal from each other does not allow two planes to land and take off simultaneously. The third late is absolutely independent and makes it possible for aircraft to land and take off simultaneously.”
The Minister explained that, thanks to the new runway, the airport will increase the capacity from 60-65 takeoff and landing operations per hour to 90. At the same time, Runway-3 is equipped with ICAO category 3. He thanked Andrei Vorobyov, the Governor of the Moscow Region, for the help that was provided during the implementation of the project.
Special Representative of the President Sergei Ivanov noted the long-awaited event for the entire transport industry. “I want to thank with all my heart the Ministry of Transport, the Federal Air Transport Agency, and the administration of the Sheremetyevo airdrome, which will now live a new life. The importance of Runway-3 for Sheremetyevo Airport, for Moscow and for Russian aviation is difficult to overstate.”
“The most complicated technical object of the airfield infrastructure, the third runway is necessary to expand the capacity of Sheremetyevo International Airport. The commissioning of the new runway under construction by Terminal C and a number of other facilities together create favorable conditions for achieving our strategic goal of entering the top 10 largest airports in the world with a capacity of about 100 million passengers per year by 2026,” said Alexander Ponomarenko.
The new independent runway enabled Sheremetyevo to significantly increase its throughput and become the first airport in Russia with three runways. The modern airfield and terminal infrastructure of Sheremetyevo opens up new opportunities for long-term growth and development for base carriers and new airlines.
Runway-3 removes infrastructure restrictions and creates conditions to ensure the increasing demand for air transportation at Sheremetyevo Airport. The runway also adds the possibility of restoring the operation suitability of existing elements of the airfield, including the planned reconstruction of Runway-1, while maintaining and further increasing the volume of air transportation.
Runway-3 has dimensions of 3200×60 m, which allows landing of all types of aircraft, both Russian and foreign.
While the runway was under construction, an innovative bridge crossing designed for aircraft traffic was implemented at the airport. This is the first project of its kind in Russia. The bridge design is able to withstand all types of modern aircraft and their modifications, including the A-380.
Sheremetyevo’s Runway-3 has modern production treatment facilities for domestic and surface wastewater, in accordance with state regulatory requirements and environmental standards.
Sheremetyevo Airport plans to enter the league of the largest aviation hubs in the world and strengthen its status as the main transit hub between Europe and Asia.
