Simferopol International Airport

Simferopol International Airport
Международный аэропорт "Симферополь"
Міжнародний аеропорт "Сімферополь"
Aqmescit Halqara Ava Limanı
IATA: SIP – ICAO: none
Summary
Airport type Public
Serves Simferopol, Crimea
Elevation AMSL 639 ft / 195 m
Coordinates 45°03′07″N 33°58′25″E / 45.05194°N 33.97361°E / 45.05194; 33.97361
Website www.sipaero.ru
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
01/19 3,701 12,142 Concrete
Statistics (2015)
Passengers Increase 5,017,760[1]

Simferopol International Airport (Russian: Международный аэропорт "Симферополь", Mezhdunarodnyy aeroport "Simferopol’"; Ukrainian: Міжнародний аеропорт "Сімферополь", Mizhnarodnyy aeroport "Simferopol’"; Crimean Tatar: Aqmescit Halqara Ava Limanı, Акъмесджит Халкъара Ава Лиманы; (IATA: SIP) (Russian AIP: URFF, УРФФ [2]) is an airport in Simferopol, the capital of Crimea. It was built in 1936. The airport has one international terminal and one domestic terminal. On 14 May 2015, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (which de facto has no control over the airport) voted to rename it to Amet-khan Sultan International Airport, in memory of Amet-khan Sultan.[3] Another airport named after Amet-khan Sultan is Uytash Airport located in Makhachkala, Russia.

Since the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation in 2015, the airport is only used for flights to and from Russia.

History

Simferopol International Airport terminal B (after 2015 reconstruction) and administrative building
Simferopol International Airport terminal B inside after reconstruction
Simferopol Airport from above

On 21 January 1936, the Council of People's Commissars of the Crimean Autonomous Republic decided to allocate land and begin construction of the Simferopol Airport. Simferopol to Moscow flights began in May 1936. Before the Second World War, regular air travel was established between Simferopol and Kiev, Kharkiv, and other airports. In 1957, a terminal was commissioned. Lighting equipment was installed on a dirt runway and IL-12, IL-14, and Mi-4 aircraft began landing at the airport. In 1960, a concrete runway with an apron and parking areas was constructed. The airport began to operate around the clock and in adverse weather conditions, using new aircraft such as Antonov An-10 and IL-18. In the 1950s and 1960s, the AN-2 carried cargo and passenger flights to regional centers of the Crimea, and the Mi-4 flew to Yalta. In the summer of 1960, a squadron of Tu-104 was organized for the first time in Ukraine. Starting in 1964, the An-24 was based at the airport.

Construction of the second runway, designed for IL-86, IL-76, IL-62, and Tu-154 aircraft, began in 1977. On 19 May 1982, Simferopol airport was the first in Ukrainian SSR to have a wide-IL-86. In subsequent years, this type of aircraft made an average of 5.6 daily flights to Moscow. In the summer of 1989, the airport was designated as a "western alternate airport" for landing the Buran spacecraft. In the early 2000s, the old runway 01R/19L (length 2700 m, PCN 22/R/B/X/T, accommodating a maximum weight of aircraft of 98 tonnes) was taken out of service because of its insufficient length and strength. Since then, it has been used as taxiway D with a length of 2100 m (the remaining 600 meters are unsuitable for taxiing). The second runway (01/19) is now in operation and is longer, wider and accommodates heavier aircraft.

Following the 2014 Crimean crisis pro-Russian militia forces took control of the airport on 28 February 2014. Crimean airspace was closed and air traffic was disrupted for two days.[4][5] On 11 March, Russian forces took over the control tower and closed Crimean airspace until the end of week. Ukraine International Flight PS65 was denied landing and diverted to Kiev.[6][7] With the Russian Takeover of the Airport, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) expressed concerns about the safety of international flights in the region and recommended airlines to avoid Crimean airspace. By the same token on 3 March 2014, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol), who also did not recognize the unilateral takeover of Ukrainian airspace by another country, had confirmed that the majority of transitional air routes have been closed, in accordance with the Chicago Convention. Ukrainian airlines also suspended routes to Simferopol.[8]

Under the Russian control (Russia not being a member of Eurocontrol), the airport operates flights only to destinations in Russia. On June 2014 Prime Minister of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, signed a Government resolution №960[9] to open the airport for international flights, however, as of March 2016 no international flights were operated.[10] On 29 July 2014 Rosaviation granted Chechen airline Grozny Avia permission to operate nonstop flights from Simferopol to the Armenian capital of Yerevan and Turkish cities of Istanbul and Antalya. However, these flights were technically domestic since they operated with a stopover in Anapa. Both of the routes were suspended the same year.[11]

Airlines and destinations

Aeroflot Ilyushin Il-96-300 at Simferopol Airport.
Globus Airlines Boeing 737-400 at Simferopol Airport.
VIM Airlines Boeing 757-200 at Simferopol Airport.
Ural Airlines aircraft at Simferopol Airport

From March 2014 onwards, all international flights to Simferopol Airport with the exception of flights originating from Russia were cancelled due to Crimea's disputed status. A flight to Istanbul, Turkey was operated for a short period in August 2014; and since 16 November 2014, flights to Yerevan, Armenia, were also operated for a short time by Grozny Avia, a Chechen airline. Technically both of these flights were not international because they had a stopover in Anapa Airport.[12][13]

Dobrolyot, a Russian government-owned low-cost airline, was sanctioned by the European Union for operating flights to Simferopol. The airline was forced to close less than two months after it started operations.

AirlinesDestinations
Aeroflot Moscow-Sheremetyevo, Sochi (begins 2 January 2017)[14]
Aeroflot
operated by Rossiya 		St. Petersburg
Seasonal: Orenburg
AlrosaSeasonal: Novosibirsk
Ikar Seasonal: Krasnoyarsk-Yemelyanovo, Novosibirsk[15]
Izhavia[16] Seasonal: Cheboksary, Kirov, Nizhnekamsk, Penza
Kosmos AirlinesSeasonal: Novokuznetsk, Tomsk
Kostroma Avia Seasonal: Kostroma, Voronezh
Nordavia Seasonal: Arkhangelsk
Red Wings Airlines Moscow-Domodedovo, St Petersburg
Seasonal: Omsk, Tomsk, Ufa
RusLine Voronezh
Seasonal: Kursk, Volgograd, Ulyanovsk
S7 Airlines
operated by Globus 		Moscow-Domodedovo
Seasonal: Novosibirsk
Saratov AirlinesSeasonal: Penza, Saratov
Severstal Seasonal: Cherepovets
VIM Airlines Moscow-Domodedovo
Ural Airlines Belgorod, Kazan, Kirov, Krasnodar, Moscow-Domodedovo, Murmansk, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, St Petersburg, Yekaterinburg
Seasonal: Chelyabinsk
UVT Aero Bugulma
Yakutia Airlines Seasonal: Irkutsk, Krasnodar, Mineralnye Vody, Moscow-Vnukovo, Yakutsk
Yamal Airlines Tyumen
Seasonal: Kursk,[17] Moscow-Domodedovo, Nizhnevartovsk, Omsk, Surgut

Statistics

Passengers at Simferopol International Airport in 2008—2015 (in thousands)
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
855[18] Decrease 751[18] Increase 845[19] Increase 964[20] Increase 1,114 Increase 1,204[21] Increase 2,800[22] Increase 5,018[23]

Ground transportation

Trolleybus Route 9 runs from the airport to the Simferopol Railway station (and Kurortnaya bus station).

In 2015, a new direct express route has been launched. 24-hour Transexpress buses and trolleybuses connect the airport with the Simferopol Railway station in the city centre.[24] The route was launched in May 2015 by Crimean Trolleybus, and runs every 10 minutes without stops in both directions.[25]

Intercity trolleybus routes 54 and 55 run to the cities of Alushta, Yalta and resorts between them on the Southern Coast of Crimea. Route #55 Simferopol - Yalta, reestablished in April 2014, is known to be the world's longest trolleybus route.[26]

The airport is connected with Sevastopol Bus Station by direct bus route.

See also

References

  1. ↑ www.sipaero.ru/post.php?id=103
  2. ↑ URFF SIMFEROPOL, AERONAUTICAL INFORMATION PUBLICATION, RUSSIAN FEDERATION
  3. ↑ "Ukrainian Rada voted for the renaming of the airport of Simferopol". rin.ru. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  4. ↑ http://news.yahoo.com/ukraine-russian-military-blocking-airport-070312640.html
  5. ↑ http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/28/ukraine-crisis-airspace-idUSL1N0LX1U520140228
  6. ↑ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10689654/Ukraine-crisis-Flights-into-Crimea-denied-permission-to-land.html
  7. ↑ http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=47253&icid=4&d_str=
  8. ↑ http://argumentua.com/novosti/icao-nebo-nad-krymom-territoriya-ukrainy-gde-seichas-nebezopasno
  9. ↑ Об открытии аэропорта Симферополь для выполнения международных полётов
  10. ↑ "Simferopol airport in Crimea opens for international flights". Voice of Russia. 7 June 2014. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  11. ↑ "Chechen Airline Gets Permission for Flights From Simferopol to Istanbul". The Moscow Times. 29 July 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  12. ↑ ""Грозный Авиа" запустил регулярное авиасообщение Симферополь-Стамбул". Ria. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  13. ↑ "Air route to open between Armenia, Crimea". Kyiv Post. 23 October 2014. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  14. ↑ http://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/269639/aeroflot-adds-adlersochi-simferopol-service-in-1q17/
  15. ↑ http://eng.tolmachevo.ru/passengers/information/schedule/?airport=8964&airline=90413&FromDate=13.02.15&ToDate=&setFilter=Y
  16. ↑ http://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/267492/izhavia-adds-new-simferopol-routes-from-june-2016/
  17. ↑ "С июня куряне смогут летать в Крым без пересадок". МК в Крыму. 20 February 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  18. 1 2 Пассажиропоток аэропорта «Симферополь» в 2009 г. сократился на 12,2 %
  19. ↑ (Russian)В 2010 году пассажиропоток аэропорта «Симферополь» вырос на 12 %
  20. ↑ (Russian)Аэропорт «Симферополь» увеличил пассажиропоток до более 1 млн человек
  21. ↑ (Russian)Итоги работы Международного аэропорта «Симферополь» за 2013 год
  22. ↑ (Russian)Итоги деятельности международного аэропорта «СИМФЕРОПОЛЬ» за 2014 год
  23. ↑ (Russian)Симферопольский аэропорт впервые со времен СССР принял 5 млн пассажиров, Interfax, December 30, 2015
  24. ↑ (Russian)Трансэкспресс из аэропорта, Krymtrolleybus, 18 May 2015
  25. ↑ "Transexpress" timetable
  26. ↑ (Russian)Севастополь и Ялту соединит самый длинный в мире троллейбусный маршрут RIA Novosti, 13 August 2014

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