The construction of an airport in Karachay-Cherkessia (KCR) will start in 2026, the Russian Ministry of Economic Development's press service informed TASS.
"Construction will begin in 2026 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2028. The first aircraft are anticipated to arrive at the airport in early 2029," a spokesperson for the agency said.
The new air hub will feature a 3,000-meter runway, an apron with 10 parking spots for aircraft, a 25,000-square-meter passenger terminal, telescopic boarding bridges, and a parking lot with 300 spaces. According to the architects' vision, the airport will seamlessly blend into the unique natural landscape of the Arkhyz resort.
"The building's design is inspired by the shape of a fir cone seed and takes the form of an elongated triangle with rounded corners. The facades are adorned with elements that visually echo the structure of pine cones, making the architecture both organic and memorable. Notably, the green roof with its gently sloping hill mirrors the silhouette of the Caucasus foothills," quoted the press service from Sergey Nikeshkin, the CEO of architectural bureau "Krupny Plan."
The press service also highlighted that "the terminal’s capacity will be 1,000 passengers per hour, and the projected annual passenger flow five years after commissioning is expected to reach 2 million people." "The tourism appeal of Karachay-Cherkessia for millions of visitors is the result of intensive collaborative work between the Russian government, teams from the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia, Caucasus.RF, and regional authorities. We anticipate that by 2030, the region will see a tourist influx of 4 million travelers," cited the press service quoting Deputy Minister of Economic Development Sergey Nazarov.
The project is being implemented under a public-private partnership framework. Karachay-Cherkessia will receive nearly 12 billion rubles from the federal budget as part of the state program "Development of the North Caucasus Federal District" for the construction of the airport complex. In July 2024, during the Caucasian Investment Forum, KCR Head Rashid Temrezov and General Director of "Airport Regions" Management Company Yevgeny Chudnovsky signed a concession agreement for the design, construction, and operation of the airport complex. It was reported that under the agreement terms, investments from "Airport Regions" will cover the construction of the terminal, runway, and other airport infrastructure. KCR will build external communications for the airport. The construction of this air hub will create over 1,000 new jobs in the republic and significantly reduce travel time to popular resorts such as Arkhyz, Dombai, and Teberda.
Currently, KCR is the only region in the North Caucasus Federal District without an airport.
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Based on TASS materials