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Vnukovo International Airport (Международный аэропорт Внуково), is a dual runway international airport located 28 km southwest from the centre of Moscow, Russia. This is one of the three major airports that serves Moscow, along with the Domodedovo International Airport and the Sheremetyevo International Airport. In 2013, the airport handled 11.18 million passengers, representing an increase of 15% compared to the previous year. It is the 4th-busiest airport in Russia and Post-Soviet states.

Vnukovo Airport was opened and used for military operations during the Second World War, but became a civilian facility after the war.

History


Vnukovo is the oldest Moscow's operating airport. Its construction was approved by the Soviet government in 1937, since the older Khodynka Aerodrome (located much closer to the city centre, but closed by the 1980s) was becoming overloaded. Vnukovo was opened on 1 July 1941. During the Great Patriotic War, it has been used as a military airbase; passenger services started after the war.

On 15 September 1956, the Tupolev Tu-104 jetliner made its first passenger flight from Moscow Vnukovo to Irkutsk via Omsk.

On 4 November 1957, a plane carrying Romanian Workers' Party officials, including the most prominent politicians of Communist Romania (Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej, Chivu Stoica, Alexandru Moghioroş, Ştefan Voitec, Nicolae Ceauşescu, Leonte Răutu, and Grigore Preoteasa), was involved in an accident at Vnukovo Airport. Preoteasa, who was Minister of Foreign Affairs at the time, was killed, as was the aircraft's crew. Several others were seriously injured.

The first passenger flights of the IL-18 (Moscow to Alma-Ata on 20 April 1956) and Tu-114 (Moscow to Khabarovsk on 24 April 1961) were also made from Vnukovo Airport. In 1980, Vnukovo was expanded because of the 22nd Summer Olympic Games. In 1993, Vnukovo Airport became a joint-stock company.

A massive reconstruction and strategic development programme commenced at Vnukovo International in late 2003, following the transfer by the Federal Government of the controlling stake in the airport to the Government of Moscow.

As part of the Airport Strategic Development Plan, the following projects were completed between 2003 and 2005:


 * April 2004: New Terminal B was opened. The terminal currently handles international passengers. But in the future, it will be converted to handle domestic flights or to fulfill any other dedicated functions to be determined at a later date. The terminal's total floor space offering stands at 80,000 sq m, allowing for an annual passenger throughput capacity of four million.


 * August 2005: Vnukovo's Aeroexpress rail link to Kiyevsky Rail Terminal was opened.


 * December 2010: New Terminal A was opened.

Vnukovo is Europe’s busiest airport for international flights by larger private planes.

Location and capacity
Of the three Moscow airports, Vnukovo is the highest (204 m above sea level). Hence, in case of fog, it has frequently served as an alternative airport.

The airfield has two intersecting runways of 3000 m and 3060 m in length. Each runway is 60 m wide, with 10 m wide safety shoulders on each side. The joint runway capacity is 60 aircraft movements per hour.

The airport has two passenger terminals (Terminal A and Terminal B), one general aviation terminal (for charter and business flights), one cargo terminal, and 60 aircraft stands.

The airport can handle a maximum of 10,100 passengers per hour, and 4,000 people are employed there. In 2013, the airport handled almost 11.18 million passengers, representing a 15.3% increase compared to 2012.

Vnukovo Airport is equipped with a VIP hall, which is used by many political leaders and important people visiting Russia. The Russian President also uses Vnukovo's VIP facility.

The Tupolev airliner rework facility is located at the edge of the airport, and major overhaul and modification programmes are carried out in several large aircraft hangars.

On the northern perimeter of the airport, the government VIP transport wing is located, operating head-of-state flights for high-ranking government officials. Thus, the airport is occasionally closed for regular flights when VIP flights arrive or depart.

Further expansion
The prospective development programme is intended to last until the year 2015, and is aimed at transforming Vnukovo International into a highly competitive air transportation hub of international significance – one that would offer a comprehensive range of quality services to both its passengers and its tenant carriers.

A new international passenger Terminal A will have a total floor space of 250,000 sq. m and passenger throughput capacity of 7,800 passengers per hour, making a total capacity of 18–20 million passengers annually. This will open up a plethora of opportunities for the tenant airlines to expand and radically improve the quality of their customer service at the airport, and ensure the introduction of international-quality service and comfort overall. The sprawling terminal building will be located on the site of the existing domestic passenger terminal, and will also serve as a springboard for the subsequent development of the entire adjacent landside area both next to the terminal and further out towards Vnukovo Settlement. The oldest of the Vnukovo passenger terminals, dating back to 1941, will be demolished by the time construction of the new one goes ahead (it started to be dismantled in November 2005). The existing Domestic Terminal 2, built in the late 1970s, will continue in operation until its eventual demolition during the final phase of construction and replacement with the new terminal.

The expansion plans include lengthening one of the two V-configured runways (3,000 m and 3,060 m long) to 3,800 m and upgrading the instrument landing system from the present CAT II to CAT III. The existing taxiways are to be extended as part of the expansion and new ones will also be built, along with a brand new control tower, an extension to the cargo terminal, and a multistory car park.

Terminals
Terminal A is used both for domestic and international flights, Terminal B is used for international flights (later, terminal B will be used for charter and low-cost international flights), and Terminal D is used for domestic arrivals from North Caucasus only.

Passenger
– Domestic flights from North Caucasus arrive to Terminal D

Rail
Aeroexpress direct line connects Vnukovo Airport and Kiyevsky Rail Terminal in Moscow city centre. One-way journey costs 340 rubles (as of January 2014). The journey takes 35 minutes.

Bus
Moscow city (Yugo-Zapadnaya metro station – terminus station of Sokolnicheskaya Line) can be reached by the official Mosgortrans bus lines: 611, 611s (611с) and 611f (611ф). One-way journey costs 25 rubles (as of October 2012). Private marshrutka line 45 also serves this direction. One-way journey costs 100 rubles (as of October 2012). Due to heavy traffic in Moscow, journey takes 15 minutes to 1 hour.

Taxi
Several taxi services to Moscow city and suburbs are available at the airport.

Accidents and incidents

 * On 3 January 1976, Aeroflot Flight 2003, a Tupolev Tu-124, crashed 7 km west of Vnukovo Airport after both artificial Horizons failed in IMC.
 * On 17 March 1979, Aeroflot Flight 1691 crashed 1.5 kilometres away from the runway while attempting to return to the airport.
 * On 16 January 2010, UTair Aviation Boeing 737-500 VQ-BAC departed the runway on landing and was substantially damaged when the nosewheel collapsed.
 * On 4 December 2010, South East Airlines Flight 372, which had departed from Vnukovo, lost power to all of its engines and made an emergency landing at Domodedovo International Airport. Upon landing, the plane overshot the runway, resulting in a crash and the death of two of the 168 passengers and crew.
 * On 29 December 2012, a Red Wings TU-204 overran the runway. The aircraft burst into flames and broke into three pieces. At least five people were killed.
 * In May 2013, some dry leased Boeing 737-400s of UTair ran into accident situations such as tyre burning and breaking of wheels. No passengers were killed or injured. UTair promises to cancel flights of most old and many times leased fleet as early as possible.