Opening of the first terminal in Ukraine, which will work in a format of eurochampionship is truly a significant event. Here Kharkiv managed to become the leader - the way last year became the Donetsk with the opening of the first Ukrainian stadium of "Elite" class in preparation for the 2012 European Cup.
Kharkiv is the only one of the four host cities, to prepare for Euro 2012 both the stadium and the airport. That is why the opening ceremony was attended by President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych. And also the team responsible for preparing for Euro 2012, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Boris Kolesnikov - National Agency head Vladimir Kovalevsky, Minister for Family, Youth and Sports Ravil Safiullin came. Euro-2012 director Martin Kallen, UEFA Euro-2012 director in Ukraine Markiyan Lubkivsky have also arrived to the opening. From the Kharkiv region, the celebration was attended by the whole management team of the municipality, state administration, representatives of councils at all levels. At a celebration on the square in front of the airport gathered hundreds of Kharkiv citizens.
Welcoming the opening of the first object to the Euro-2012 in the aviation industry of Ukraine, President stressed that the new terminal was "Eastern air gate of Ukraine" and "symbol of the beginning of a new development of Slobozhanshchina". According to him, the creation of the international airport in Kharkiv is an example of cooperation between government and business. In ordinary times, the new terminal will take 800,000 passengers a year and in the year of the championship is expected to be 2 million, which means that the life of Kharkiv will become more dynamic, Viktor Yanukovych stressed.
Coordinator of Kharkiv preparation for Euro-2012 Aleksandr Yaroslavskyy believes that the new terminal of international airport Kharkiv will bring the city a new stage of development. The terminal has already started working and soon will take only domestic flights, and in October-November, will deploy an international program. After all, today the airport has on hand signed five agreements to take flights from Milan, Budapest, Paris, Berlin and Warsaw. "This is just the beginning. We opened the whole world" - says Yaroslavskyy.
According to the businessman, who created not only the first aviaobject for Euro 2012, but also the first private air terminal in Ukraine, according to preliminary calculations, the terminal will be repaid over 15-18 years. Total construction cost about million, which Aleksandr Yaroslavskyy`s invested in the construction of the terminal.
Coordinator of Kharkiv preparation for Euro-2012 emphasizes that the primary task today is to provide terminal with flights of medium range, so that in the next year or two to cover the whole of Europe.
The airport is capable of receiving different types of aircrafts, in particular aircraft type Airbus A-320 and Boeing B-737. A new terminal with an area of more than 20 thousand square meters will allow by 2011 to increase passenger service up to 650 passengers per hour. This capacity corresponds to the European standards.
Here there are modern security system and flight control. In coming months, the building will be equipped with ultramodern IT equipment, and next year three gates will be complete, the so-called "sleeves" of the airport.
Head of Directorate for the construction of the airport terminal, Aleksandr Sivalnev calls the terminal typically European. He is sure that within 20 years the terminal will stay on modern positions in the ranking of European airports.
Technological design of the terminal, the scheme of service of passengers involved a German company Airport Research Center, which prepared the draft of the last, the fifth in a row, the terminal at Heathrow (London). Then the project was revised and adapted by Kharkiv design team led by Aleksandr Saratov. General contractor was a local company Stalconstructsia - recall this is the same tandem that created Metalist stadium.
The appearance of the building is also European and, and interior architecture is in the popular high-tech style. The main facade of the terminal - all glass, which gives it a lightness and airiness. Also, glass and partitions of the interior. Specially for the new Kharkiv terminal designers created a corporate uniform for airport workers and its logo, that reminds a feather, and a smiley.
Know-how of the terminal - 27 laced farms in the ceiling that overlook natural light. Each farm – with a weight of 8 tons, a length of 24 meters.
Inside of the new terminal there are two escalators and four elevators. Reception area is divided into two areas – for international and for domestic flights. On domestic flights, baggage is used for a baggage carousel. International Zone is strengthened with control security system, here there are passport and customs controls.
Planners have worked on the atmosphere - for comfort, to remove excess noise, carried out air conditioners, installed modern air heating system, air exchange and air conditioning. All the technical things are hidden in the basement - heat exchangers, other bulky equipment. Suspended ceilings are closed - it gives aesthetic look to the interior.
With regard to materials used in the construction of a new terminal, they are mostly Ukrainian made. "Firstly, the foundation is based on only Ukrainian concrete. The same applies to the metal - all of it was manufactured in Ukraine. With regard to structures associated with the aluminum tubes - there are China and Turkey. The use of glass largely came from the Ukraine, partly imported from abroad", - said director of construction.
Construction of the terminal lasted less than two years. The birth day of the project is considered April 1, 2008, when the company "New Systems AM (DCH Group, president Aleksandr Yaroslavskyy) won the competition for the rental of a complete property over complex of the Kharkiv airport.
The terminal has completed the first major phase of updating the Kharkiv airport for Euro 2012. Program provides for the reconstruction of the old terminal, which is concidered a historical monument in Kharkiv, construction of the temporary terminal, construction of a new runway and the bus station, landscaping landside area, which in size is almost as central in Kharkiv Svobody Square.
The second stage of reconstruction of the airport will begin in a few months. According to project managers, it will be an exclusive complex, which will combine historical spirit and modernity of the XXI century. The cost of reconstruction and restoration is estimated in 5-6 million dollars. It is planned that during the European Championship, it will serve the VIP-passengers with a capacity of 250 persons per hour.
The total cost of reconstruction of the International Airport "Kharkiv" is UAH 1 billion 86 million. Which includes a private investment of DCH group president Aleksandr Yaroslavskyy, as well as funding from the state budget.
Lesya Solovchuk
Information Center "Ukraine-2012"
