Zvartnots International Airport

Zvartnots International Airport
Զվարթնոց Միջազգային Օդակայան
Zvartnots International Airport
IATA: EVNICAO: UDYZ
EVN
Location of airport in Armenia
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner General Department of Civil Aviation of Armenia
Operator Armenia International Airports CJSC
Serves Yerevan
Location Zvartnots
Hub for Armavia
Elevation AMSL 2,838 ft / 865 m
Website http://www.aia-zvartnots.aero/
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
09/27 3,850 12,631 Asphalt/Concrete
Soure: Armenian AIP at EUROCONTROL[1]

Zvartnots International Airport (Armenian: Զվարթնոց Միջազգային Օդանավակայան Zvart'nots' Mijazgayin Odanavakayan) (IATA: EVNICAO: UDYZ) is located near Zvartnots, 12 km (7.5 mi) west[1] of Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia. The airport was built in 1961. It is now the busiest airport in Armenia and the Caucasus. The draftsmen of the airport included architects M. Khachikyan, A. Tarkhanyan, J. Sheqhlyan, L. Cherkezyan and designers H. Tigranyan, A. Meschyan, and constructor M. Baghdasaryan.[2] The airport was renovated in the 1980s with the development of a new terminal area, in order to meet domestic traffic demands within the Soviet Union.

When Armenia declared its independence from the Soviet Union in the 1990s, the considerable growth of cargo shipments resulted in the construction of a new cargo terminal in 1998, with modern technical equipment that can handle about 100,000 tonnes of cargo annually.[3]

In 2001, a 30-year concession agreement for the management of operations at the airport was signed with Armenia International Airports CJSC, owned by Argentine company Corporation America, which is in turn owned by Armenian Argentine businessman Eduardo Eurnekian. As part of that agreement, Armenia International Airports CJSC committed itself to renovate and expand the airport in order for it to become a vital link for tourism and commerce between Asia and Europe, as well as to modernize its facilities and services.

As part of those commitments, renovation and expansion work began in 2004, culminating in the opening of a new international terminal on June 1, 2007, after 40 months of work. Another terminal opened on 16 September 2011.

In 2010, Zvartnots airport handled a total of 1,612,016 passengers and 9,783 aircraft movements, a respective 11.4% and 12.5% increase over the previous year's figures.[4]

The airport able to accept any type of aircraft, including Airbus A380.

Currently, the airport's manager is Juan Pablo Guechigian.[5]

Contents

Recent and ongoing expansion

In 2004, the construction of a new international terminal began, at a cost of US$100 million. It covers an area of 19,200 m2 (207,000 sq ft) and can handle 2 million passengers a year. The building of this terminal is part of the 30-year concession agreement signed by the Armenian Government and Armenia International Airports.

On September 14, 2006 the newly built arrivals hall was opened. The new international terminal with its departures section was opened on June 1, 2007.

An additional investment of US$100 million will be carried out until 2010. Improvements at Zvartnots will involve a total investment of 164 million for the next 30 years. Armenia International Airports CJSC has already allocated over €70 million to the first phase, which included a 19,200 m2 (207,000 sq ft) extension of the premises and a refurbishment of around 45,000 m2 (480,000 sq ft).

Now that the first phase is complete, the airport boasts a 54,000 m2 (580,000 sq ft) runway and 45,000 m2 (480,000 sq ft) of building, of which the new terminal occupies 25,000 m2 (270,000 sq ft) area. In order to adapt to the forthcoming increase in visitors, new parking has been created, with capacity for 1,000 vehicles. Many international airlines now operate from Zvartnots, connecting Yerevan to the world's most important cities.

In addition, the company has focused on improving visitor's comfort within the terminal. The arrival hall capacity has been doubled to reach a volume of over 1,000 passengers per hour, and passenger management will be streamlined thanks to a substantial expansion of the customs. Finally, the airport's waiting areas and passenger service areas have been extensively renovated, with availability of Wi-Fi, together with the enhancement of the duty-free shops and restaurants.

Runway 09 is equipped with an ILS CAT II, which enables aircraft operations in low ceiling (30 meters) and visibility (350 meters).[6]

In the spring of 2008, the construction of a new passenger terminal began, in order to supplement the existing concourse. The project was completed in September 2011. The new passenger terminal, occupying 52,000 m2 (560,000 sq ft), doubled the number of passenger check-in counters and security control points. A new underground parking lot was built, with a parking area for more than 800 cars, and occupying 2,000 m2 (22,000 sq ft). With the completion of the terminal, “Zvartnots” International Airport is the only airport in the Caucasus that corresponds to the rating B.[7] The airport is now capable of serving 3.5 million passengers annually.[8] The entire project cost was $160 million, part of which was on loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).[9] The new terminal started operating on September 16, 2011.[8]

Security

In order to comply with the international air regulations, Armenia International Airports has made a great effort to improve security at Zvartnots. Amongst other measures, 150 surveillance cameras have been installed at the airport, both inside the buildings and in open spaces. Yerevan airport is guarded by Russian Federation and Armenian guards.[10]

The modernization effort has been significant, including the implementation of an innovative flight information display system (FIDS) as well as a new automated and biometric-identification system for baggage check-in and passenger control. All buildings are now also equipped with free Wi-Fi Internet connection.

Airlines and destinations

Airlines Destinations
Aeroflot Moscow-Sheremetyevo
Aerosvit Airlines Kiev-Boryspil
AirBaltic Riga
Air France Paris-Charles de Gaulle
Air Italy Rome-Fiumicino
Armavia Aleppo, Ankara [begins 2 April], Astrakhan, Athens, Beirut, Berlin-Tegel, Dubai, Istanbul-Atatürk, Kiev-Boryspil, Larnaca, Milan-Malpensa [begins 29 March], Mineralnye Vody, Moscow-Domodedovo, Moscow-Vnukovo, Nizhniy Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Odessa, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Rostov-on-Don, Saint Petersburg, Samara, Simferopol, Sochi, Stavropol, Tel Aviv
Seasonal: Amsterdam
Austrian Airlines Vienna
Belavia Minsk
bmi London-Heathrow
Bulgarian Air Charter Seasonal: Varna
Czech Airlines Prague
Dniproavia Dnepropetrovsk
Donavia Rostov-on-Don, Sochi, Mineralnye Vody
Donbassaero Donetsk, Kiev-Boryspil
Flydubai Dubai
Iran Aseman Airlines Tehran-Imam Khomeini
Kuban Airlines Krasnodar
LOT Polish Airlines Warsaw
Polet Airlines Voronezh
Rossiya Saint Petersburg
RusLine Volgograd, Stavropol
S7 Airlines Chelyabinsk, Moscow-Domodedovo, Novosibirsk
Saravia Saratov
SCAT Aktau
Syrian Air Aleppo
Tatarstan Airlines Kazan
Ural Airlines Yekaterinburg
UTair Aviation Krasnodar, Mineralnye Vody, Rostov-on-Don, Surgut
Yamal Airlines Tyumen

Cargo airlines

Airlines Destinations
Air Armenia Hahn
Air Cargo Germany Hahn[11]
Coyne Airways Tbilisi

Statistics

Year 2005 [12] 2006 [13] 2007 [13] 2008 [14] 2009 [4] 2010 [4] 2011 (Jan-Nov)[15]
Departing Passenger Traffic 546,000 562,825 698,614 751,310 729,835 816,866 757,279
Arriving Passenger Traffic 547,400 562,873 688,388 728,690 717,562 795,150 716,454
Total Passenger Traffic 1,111,400 1,125,698 1,387,002 1,480,000 1,447,397 1,612,016 1,478,948
Exported freight (tons) 3,701 4,080 3,515 4,000 3,100 3,300
Imported freight (tons) 5,418 5,196 6,489 6,700 5,200 5,500
Total freight (tons) 9,119 9,276 10,004 10,774 8,400 8,800 8,736
Aircraft movements (departure and landing) 6,897 6,746 7,953 8,624 8,699 9,783 9,039

Facilities

Access to airport

Bus #201 connects the airport with the crossroads of Sayat-Nova and Mashtots streets in Yerevan. Bus #108 also connects the city center with the airport.

Gallery

See also

Armenia portal
Aviation portal


External links

References

  1. ^ a b EAD Basic
  2. ^ Image caption on Zvartnots Airport, in Soviet Armenian Encyclopedia. Yerevan, Armenian SSR, 1986. vol. xii, 512.
  3. ^ General Department of Civil Aviation of Armenia - Airport Information
  4. ^ a b c PanArmenian.Net - Overall passenger transportation via Zvartnots airport reached 1.6mln in 2010
  5. ^ Armtown News Article - Will Eduardo Eurnekian Take Up Management of Gyumri Airport?
  6. ^ Armats.com - Navigation Services
  7. ^ News.am - New passenger terminal opened in Zvartnots Armenian airport
  8. ^ a b PanArmenian.net - Zvartnots hi-tech airport terminal opens in Yerevan
  9. ^ Airports Of The World - May/June 2010 | Issue 29, p.15
  10. ^ European Commission against Racism and Intolerance "ECRI REPORT ON ARMENIA (fourth monitoring cycle)." February 8, 2011. p. 23.
  11. ^ "Air Cargo Germany - Scheduled Services". Air Cargo Germany. Frankfurt-Hahn to Shanghai route, EVN is first stop on wednesday's. http://www.acg.aero/scheduled-services. Retrieved 2010-08-22. 
  12. ^ General Department of Civil Aviation of Armenia - 2005-2006 Statistics
  13. ^ a b General Department of Civil Aviation of Armenia - 2006-2007 Statistics
  14. ^ 2008 Statistics for Zvartnots airport Dead link
  15. ^ PanArmenian.Net - Zvartnots Airport serviced over 1,4 million passengers in Jan-Nov 2011
  16. ^ "Headquarters." Armavia. Retrieved on 24 January 2011. "Air Company “Armavia”, International Airport Zvartnots, Yerevan 0042."
  17. ^ "Home." General Department of Civil Aviation of Armenia. Retrieved on 25 December 2011. "Our address is: Yerevan, 357042 Zvartnoc airport" [sic]
  18. ^ "Home (Armenian)." General Department of Civil Aviation of Armenia. Retrieved on 25 December 2011. "Մեր հասցեն է` ք.Երևան, 357042 <<Զվարթնոց>> օդանավակայան"