UTair (UT, Khanty-Mansiysk) has signed a trilateral Memorandum of Understanding with the Kaluga regional government and the Russian Ministry of Interior concerning the proposed redevelopment of Yermolino Aerodrome into a fully fledged international airport.
Located 150 kilometers (93 mi) southwest of Moscow, UTair will be Ermolino International Airport's primary resident basing twenty A321-200s there in due course.
However, despite UTAir's role in the project, other carriers have also been courted.
“We have obtained both written and oral approvals from airlines interested in making Ermolino their hub," the Director General of the Ermolino International Airport Management Company, Salavat Kutushev, said without mentioning specfic names.
Under the terms of the agreement, the Kaluga regional government will aid in attracting investors while providing support for the project in accordance with national and regional regulations, as well as collaborating with the federal government. Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs is extending funding for the project.
Reconstruction works are scheduled to start during the third quarter of this year and will involve the construction of a 250'000sqm apron area with 40 planned parking areas.
The upgraded airport, which is expected to be operational before the 2018 FIFA World Cup, will handle up to 2,400 passengers per hour. Passenger turnover at the reconstructed airport is expected to reach 6.5 million by 2020. Once complete, the airfield will conform to ICAO Category 4C standards.
