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 Domodedovo Airport (DME) transportation options and guide - 31.3 million passengers/2015
• Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport (SVO) transportation options and guide - 30.5 million
• Moscow Vnukovo Airport (VKO) transportation options and guide - 15.8 million

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

Myanmar adds airports to meet tourism demand

Departure lounge at  Myanmar's Yangon International Airport
creativecommons image by mikecogh on flicrk

Look at any list of the world's hot travel destinations, and Myanmar will probably be on the list. The former nation of Burma, emerging after decades of being closed to tourists, is busy making plans to handle all those new visitors.

Myanmar currently has 3 international airports (along with about 30 domestic airports):

• Mandalay International Airport (MDL) 
• Yangon International Airport (RGN) 
• Naypyitaw International Airport (NYT) 

The on-again, off-again, plans to build a 4th is back on again with the recent announcement of new investors for the Hanthawaddy International Airport project [more]. Located in the central Bago region, just 80 kilometres from Yangon, the new greenfield Hanthawaddy International Airport will be capable of handling 18 million passengers, and is expected to open in 2018.

Construction on a 5th is already underway. Expansion of the renamed former domestic Tavoy Airport to international standards has commenced, with runway and other facilities to follow. Dawei International Airport (TVY) is being developed in conjunction with the Dawei Deep Seaport project, and will be fully operational by 2017.

Related resources

Singapore-Japan consortium wins deal to build new airport
Myanmar reboots new airport tender
Myanmar to add two new int'l airports to meet future development
Myanmar Coming to a Crossroads - Travel Pulse
Myanmar airport transportation guides

Spain’s ‘white elephant airport’ comes back from the dead

The Plane Man, by Juan Ripollés - sadly, the sculptor was left out-of-pocket for expenses associated with the stunning work

The desire of some European politicians to spend future public funds to help reinvigorate their domestic economies resulted in numerous civil work projects, many of which were abandoned shortly after construction. In places like Spain, the situation is glaringly obvious with public buildings, pools and even airports sitting empty, based on failed speculative theories on increased consumption and use.

In Castellon, a province in NE Spain, a 15 year plan to construct an airport to increase tourism to its postcard-perfect beaches eventually came into existence 4 years ago. The project was launched with the hope it would tap into various regional carrier markets, on the assumption that foreign money would continually flow into the region’s hospitality and that the real estate market would see increases on par with other parts of the world .

Europe’s sustained economic recession, however, has resulted in high levels of unemployment and corresponding less continental travelers flocking to Spain, let alone relatively undiscovered regions such as Castellon.

Despite the airport sitting idle beyond a few charter flights, expenses were paid for security and rodent and bird exterminators, anxiously preparing for the days when the airport would receive national approval and international use.

This was more than an unneeded, useless €150 million boondoggle - the former politician who cooked up the idea, Carlos Fabra, is currently serving 4 years behind bars for tax fraud associated with the project. The renowned sculptor Juan Ripollés was left out of pocket for his masterpiece gracing the airport's grounds. A whopping €30 million was wasted on advertising. The private contractor hired to operate the airport for 50 years sued for cancellation of his contract. And it took f4 years to be approved as meeting regulatory requirements. No wonder Spaniards were sore about the ghost airport.

Well, the day of waiting has come to an end.
Ryanair will start operating flights to/from Castellón de la Plana Airport, or Castellón-Costa Azahar Airport, with multiple weekly flights from London Stansted and Bristol. Ticket sales have opened, and flights commence in September.

Related resources

Spain's 'ghost' airport finally gets ready to welcome its first flights as Ryanair confirms routes between Castellon and the UK
Ryanair to serve Castellón Airport from Bristol and Stansted
Spanish 'ghost' airport's unused runway to be dug up - 2012
In Spain, a Symbol of Ruin at an Airport to Nowhere - 2012
Castellon de La Plana Airport (CDT) transportation guide (watch for updates)

New Multan Airport targets March liftoff

New Multan International Airport Pakistan from Shujaat Azeem on Vimeo.

Pakistan's 'new' Multan Airport will finally... hopefully... be operational later this month.

The airport has been fraught with challenges. As recently as February 10th, the airport was set to be inaugurated before the end of February. While this target was not met, there was a final inspection of the facilities on February 27th.

Arrival of passengers on the first test
flight at Multan Airport today

Today saw the landing of the first test flight on the tarmac at Multan Airport, and an announcement that the airport will be operational sometime during May. Let's hope.

The new airport was apparently completed last year, but a lack of power prevented it from becoming operational (there is now a new grid station).

Previous stumbling blocks included cancellation of plans for a new greenfield construction, due to lack of funds, and modified plans to replace the existing terminal instead.

First bags!
Test flight photos by Saqlain Kazmi
via @raisinganchor

Along with new runways and an ILS (instrument landing system), the essentially new airport will boost capacity from 100,000 to 1 million passengers a year.

Information on transportation options for the new terminal are hard to find, even for us. For now, expect to take a taxi, and keep any eye on our Multan International Airport (MUX) transportation guide for updates.

In addition to passenger services, the new airport will double mango exports from the region from 10,000 to 20,000 tons (how many planes does it take to fly 10,000 mangos?).

For more pictures, see the Multan Airport Facebook page.

Related resources:
Multan International Airport (MUX) transportation guide
New Multan airport to be inaugurated this month (March): Shujaat Azeem
Luck to smile on Multan in March
PM likely to open New Multan Airport on (February) 27th
Upgraded Multan airport likely to open next month (February)
New Multan Airport to complete by end of 2014
Qatar Airlines to start flights from Multan to Europe