ACU May Final Draft LR

COVER STORY
“The project implementation will
allow us to simultaneously service 4
cargo aircraft of the B747 type (or up
to 6 aircraft of the B737 type). As of
April 2019, these projects are 80%
complete. The opening of the
complex will take place in the second
half of 2019,” Solodilin explained.
ZIA CARGO is also envisioned to
operate 24/7 and the construction of
a modern cargo terminal is crucial
to this.
“The infrastructure of the
cargo terminal is designed to
meet the modern requirements
for efficient and safe storage
and transfer of cargo. It will
support 24-hour and precisely
accurate tracking of cargo
operations, including loading
a n d u n l o a d i n g a i r c r a f t ,
o r g a n i z i n g s t o r a g e a n d
subsequent & transportation
of any cargo types,” the
company CEO noted.
Since its opening in 2018, ZIA
CARGO had seen slow but steady
increase on air freight volumes.
“2018 was the first year of ZIA
CARGO's operation, so it may be too
early for any concrete results. This
was a period of much testing and
training. Cargo handling is currently
operating under the conditions of
limited customs infrastructure: we
are engaged in receiving and
shipping domestic cargo that does
not require complex terminal
handling,” said Solodilin.
“For the first year, we have already
handled 5,000 tons of cargo. This
fi g u r e m a y s e e m e x t r e m e l y
insignificant in the grand scheme of
things, but what we ultimately
achieved is a five-fold increase in
volume while using the same
infrastructure. This year, with the new
terminal's timely start of operation,
12,000 tons of cargo will be handled.
And the full projected capacity of
100,000 tons per year will be
achieved in 2022-2023,” he added.
Growth in the horizon
Zhukovsky International Airport
handled 1.16 million passengers in
2018, more than double its 2017
record of 425,500 passengers. But
with the Russian government
aggressively pushing to entice more
domestic and international tourists
to visit the country, it's envisioned to
handle as much as 12 million
passengers by next year.
Increasing cargo volumes with its
growth was factored in, thus, the
construction of a modern cargo
terminal for ZIA CARGO was also put
in place.
“The construction of a modern
cargo terminal was originally
included in the development plans of
Zhukovsky International Airport,
since the efficient operation of an
international airport in a region as
busy as Moscow and the Moscow
Region is simply impossible without a
cargo handling sector,” shared
Solodilin.
“The lack of specialized solutions is