MINSK, 30 January (BelTA) – The development concept of Minsk National Airport is expected to be adopted in the near future, Belarus' Transport and Communications Minister Aleksei Avramenko told journalists ahead of the final session of the board of the ministry on 30 January, BelTA has learned.
“We intend to adopt the development concept of Minsk National Airport that will conceptualize the new terminal project and to get down to the pre-investment stage soon,” Aleksei Avramenko said as he spoke about plans regarding the development of the transport industry.
Plans are also in place to finish renovation of the airfield in Orsha and start renovating the first runway of Minsk National Airport.
As far as the railway is concerned, Belarusian Railways will continue renewing its rolling stock. Electrification of railway lines is also high on the agenda. “Moreover, we are working on the project to build a rail link between Minsk and the airport,” Aleksei Avramenko noted. “This is a large-scale project, and we intend to launch it soon. Pre-design and design work on the project is currently underway,” the minister added.
The project provides for building a separate railway line running from the Minsk central railway station to Minsk National Airport. “We need to remodel the rail track within Minsk and build a third rail track and a new line between the Gorodishche railway station and the airport (around 18km long),” Aleksei Avramenko said. “Ultimately, passengers will be able to travel from the city center to the airport in half an hour. These are the main ideas of the project,” he added.
“Last year we reported a record high number of passengers – more than 5.1 million. It was a significant milestone. If the passenger traffic continues to grow as in January 2020, we might handle up to six million passengers this year. Of course, we should enhance their travel experience,” Aleksei Avramenko stressed.
Photos by Sergei Sheleg
