Thursday 2 June 2016

Zhukovsky, Moscow's 4th airport opens

Open for business, but no flights yet at Moscow Zhukovsky Airport
Earlier this year, we captured the mess that is transportation to Moscow's 3 major airports with an illustration by Andy, a Russian resident in Moscow has HOW many airports?!?.

Well, Andy's life just got a little more complicated.

On May 30th, Moscow's fourth international airport, "Zhukovsky", opened for business.

The newest, Moscow Zhukovsky Ramenskoye International Airport (ZIA), is located in the town of Zhukovsky, on the outskirts of Moscow (in Moscow Oblast, to be precise).

Precise? Well, maybe not, as most of the airport is actually located in the town of Ramenskoye. Perhaps the former aviation research, testing and cargo facility (it once a test site for Soviet Buran Spacecraft) had worn out the city's moniker.

But with a slice of the airport located in Zhukovsky, a town named to honour Russia's pioneer of modern aerodynamics research, Nikolay Yegorovich Zhukovsky, how could they not rename it?

Names aside, Zhukovsky Airport was planned to relieve mounting pressure on Moscow's existing airports, which has since eased (25 airlines pulled out of Moscow last year):
Moscow Zhukovsky International Airport is intended to serve low-cost airlines. Few have signed up so far, but Air Kyrgyzstan and SCAT will commence service next month. Cities with flights to ZIA will initially include Aktau, Aktobe, Astana, Bishkek, Osh and Shymkent.

Unfortunately, no transportation infrastructure exists or is planned, so if you find ZIA on your flight itinerary, be warned. All Moscow airports share an IATA city code, MOW, so be sure you know which airports(s) you are flying through.

If you happen to be lucky enough to attend the biennial MAKS Airshow, long hosted by the Ramenskoye Airport, perhaps you can manage to take a flight into ZIA to check it out firsthand.

But still, please, don't ask Andy for a ride.


Resources from IHateTaxis.com
Moscow has HOW many airports?!?
Moscow Domodedovo Airport (DME) transportation options and guide
Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport (SVO) transportation options and guide
Moscow Vnukovo Airport (VKO) transportation options and guide
Moscow Zhukovsky Ramenskoye International Airport (ZIA) transportation options and guide
Moscow Layover Ideas & Things to Do in Moscow

Related resources
New Moscow airport's take off stalled by vanishing passengers - Reuters
Zhukovsky Airport to Serve First Flight in June - Russian Aviation Insider
Fourth international airport opens in Moscow RT.com
An Aeroflot Nightmare: How I Got Placed Under Virtual Arrest in Moscow
Airport nightmare: Russians seize concertmaster’s violin
Hundreds Miss Sheremetyevo Flights Because of Road Work
STUCK: The meaning of the city’s traffic nightmare - New Yorker
Getting around Moscow by metro and public transport


Posted by IHateTaxis at 08:27
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