Dagestani Prime Minister Abdusamad Gamidov, his deputy Magomed Isayev and head of the Transportation and Roads Agency Zagid Khuchbarov have attended the reopening of Makhachkala Airport. Its reconstruction took 4 months and 2.1 billion rubles. Almost all planes may land at the airport, the Dagestani administration reports.
Tamerlan Buganov, the director general of the airport, said that new flights may open. He noted that the second stage of the reconstruction process will start in 2017 and cost over 3 billion rubles within the framework of the federal purpose program for development of transportation in 2010-2020. Budget funds and investors will cover the expenses. Buganov reminded that the airport had been closed in late September 2014, light equipment will have been tested by the end of the month.
Khuchbarov called the airport's runway unique, it uses polymer materials protecting the upper layer from temperature changes. In his words, the temperature in summer may reach +50 degrees Celsius, enough to melt asphalt.
The runway was extended from 42m to 45m in width, to 60m with the side constructions. Durability was improved from 24 to 42 units. A total of 117 tons of asphalt and about 4,000 cubic meters of cement were laid.
Nafta-Moscow Director General Oleg Lipatov, Dagestani MP Eduard Khidirov and other officials arrived from Moscow for the opening. Flights today were only made to Moscow. Flights to Domodedovo are made at 1.00pm and 4.00pm, to Vnukovo at 3.50pm, from Domodedovo at 9.10am and 11.50am, from Vnukovo at 12.10pm. On December 22, Moscow-Makhachkala flights will start at 8.15am.
Before the reconstruction, the airport made flights to Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Surgut, Mineralniye Vody, Sochi, Rostov-on-Don, Baku, Sharjah, Dubai, Istanbul, Sabiha and Aktau.
