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Irkutsk Governor Alexander Tishanin yesterday spoke about the construction of a new airport as a matter practically decided. He stated that today he intends to sign an agreement with the Federal Air Transport Agency (FAVT) on the division of obligations for the construction of this facility. The governor said that a place for construction has already been found - between three cities: Irkutsk, Angarsk and Shelekhov. “The selected site has a zero profile and there is no fog, unlike the existing airport, whose runway slopes towards the horizon and where fog often causes flight delays in the morning,” the governor said.
Mr. Tishanin did not name at least the approximate cost of the new airport yesterday, but explained how construction costs would be distributed. According to him, the Ministry of Transport will take over the runway, and regional authorities will ensure the construction of the apron and terminal. “We are talking about 2007-2008. All necessary documents will be drawn up in 2007, construction is planned for 2008,” he said.
The press service of the Ministry of Transport told Vremya Novostey yesterday that it is too early to talk about the cost of both projects: it will depend both on the conditions of the chosen site and on the characteristics of the strip itself. As a rough guide, we can recall that the construction of Runway 2 at Novosibirsk Tolmachevo Airport, which began in 2002 and should be completed in 2007, was estimated at a preliminary estimate of 685 million rubles. True, the Tolmachevo strip is longer than the existing Irkutsk strip (3599 m versus 3165 m), and much wider (70 m versus 45 m).
It is noteworthy that the head of the FAVT, Alexander Yurchik, who is in Irkutsk, with whom Mr. Tishanin plans to sign an agreement today, did not have a clear answer to the question about the future location of the air harbor just yesterday.
Mr. Yurchik told Vremya Novostey through the press service of the Ministry of Transport that the issue needs serious joint study by specialists from the FAVT and the Irkutsk regional administration. Regarding the new airport, he said: “This possibility is being considered. The agency is also considering the option of developing the existing airport.”
The day before, Transport Minister Igor Levitin, who heads the state commission to investigate the A310 crash, spoke about some details of this second option. It provides that a new runway will be built on the territory of the old airport at an angle of approximately 30 degrees to the existing one. This will allow aircraft to land from both ends of the runway. Due to the characteristics of the surrounding mountainous terrain, aircraft enter the existing runway only from one side (over Lake Baikal). At the same time, Mr. Levitin spoke in favor of corporatization and privatization of the old airport, which is now a federal state unitary enterprise. “Our position is to remove the Irkutsk Airport enterprise from the category of strategic enterprises and corporatize it,” the minister said at a meeting in Irkutsk. “Only the runway and apron should be left with the state, and everything else should be put up for sale to strategic investors.” Thus, Mr. Levitin actually made it clear that he would oppose the closure of the current airport.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, who is on a visit to Mongolia, also yesterday made it clear that the federal center has not yet decided on the construction of a new airport in Irkutsk: “It is not so simple, but we will think about it.” At the same time, the prime minister promised to equip the current airfield. “In any case, we will restore order, this is a fact, remove unnecessary buildings, structures that interfere with takeoff and landing,” said Mikhail Fradkov.