Khanbumbat Airport

Umnugobi Khanbumbat Airport
Ханбумбат нисэх буудал
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner Oyu Tolgoi LLC
Operator ACH Services LLC
Serves Khanbogd
Location Khanbogd, Ömnögovi, Mongolia
Elevation AMSL 1,196 m / 3,924 ft
Coordinates 43°08′05″N 106°50′47″E / 43.13472°N 106.84639°E / 43.13472; 106.84639Coordinates: 43°08′05″N 106°50′47″E / 43.13472°N 106.84639°E / 43.13472; 106.84639
Website http://ot.mn/
Map
ZMKB

Location within Mongolia

Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
15/33 3,250 10,663 Concrete[1] PCN 57/R/B/W/T
--/-- ? ? Concrete
Statistics (2014)
Passengers 57,597
Sources: Civil Aviation Administration of Mongolia and the MCAA[2]

Khanbumbat Airport (Mongolian: Ханбумбат нисэх буудал, also Oyu Tolgoi Airport) is an airport in Khanbogd, Ömnögovi, Mongolia. The airport's construction was funded by the adjacent Oyu Tolgoi mine. It is the second airport in passenger traffic in Mongolia after Chinggis Khaan International Airport. The airport serves nearly 100,000 passengers annually.

History

Oyu Tolgoi mine exploration

Canadian-based Ivanhoe Mines discovered the gold-copper ore deposit in 2001 in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia. It is in an area known as Oyu Tolgoi (Mongolian for Turquoise Hill),[3] where in the time of Genghis Khan outcropping rocks were smelted for copper.[4] By 2003 there were 18 exploration drill rigs on the property employing approximately 200 people, and Oyu Tolgoi was the "biggest mining exploration project in the world."[3] In January 2013 Oyu Tolgoi started producing concentrate from the mine.[5]

Airport history

The old building of the airport was built in 2000-s. In 2004 the airport was called "Oyut Airport". The runway was dirt. In 2007 it started accepting passenger flights. The new airport was built in 2012. It opened on 10 February 2013.

Information

Description

The Khanbumbat Airport and Oyu Tolgoi mine is in the South Gobi Desert of Mongolia, 80 kilometres (50 mi) north of Mongolia's border with the People's Republic of China, where the mined copper is expected to be shipped.[4] Oyu Tolgoi deposits contain (as of 2010) an estimated 79 billion pounds (35,833,000 tonnes) of copper, and 45 million ounces (1,275,000,000 grams) of gold.[6] Production is scheduled to begin in 2013 and to reach full capacity in 2018. Over the anticipated lifespan of the mine (45 years), Oyu Tolgoi is scheduled to produce 450,000 tonnes (500,000 short tons) of copper per year, an amount equal to 3% of global production. Oyu Tolgoi is also expected to produce 330,000 ounces of gold annually.[7][8] Rio Tinto intends to employ 3,000-4,000 people from Mongolia,[9] so it was a need to build an airport. Khanbumbat Airport is located 207 kilometers northwest of the regional capital of the Dalanzadgad, and 522 kilometers southwest of the national capital of Ulan Bator.

Runways and operational infrastructure

The airport of international standards, its runway has a length of 3259 m, and a width of 45 meters. It is able to receive Boeing-737 and Airbus A320 aircraft.

The terminal building (designed to mimick a Mongolian ger) is able to cater for up to 240 passengers per hour.[10]

In 2013, 80,000 passengers arrived at the airport. The majority were employees of the Oyu Tolgoi mine from Ulan Bator, including foreigners who connected through Chinggis Khaan International Airport. In the future it is possible to open international flights directly to Khanbumbat.[11]

Airlines and destinations

AirlinesDestinations
Aero Mongolia Ulaanbaatar
MIAT Mongolian Airlines Ulaanbaatar

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Ханбумбат” нисэх буудал удахгүй ашиглалтад орно"
  2. ↑ "Монголын иргэний нисэхийн статистикийн эмхтгэл 2014". Civil Aviation Administration of Mongolia.
  3. 1 2 Grainger, David (22 December 2003). "The Great Mongolian Gold Rush The land of Genghis Khan has the biggest mining find in a very long time. A visit to the core of a frenzy in the middle of nowhere.". CNN Money (Fortune Magazine). Retrieved 19 January 2010.
  4. 1 2 Brooke, James (15 October 2004). "Mining brings the Gobi Desert to life". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 January 2010.
  5. ↑ Lazenby, Henry (1 February 2013). "Oyu Tolgoi produces first concentrate". Mining Weekly. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  6. ↑ Hill, Leizel (6 January 2010). "Ivanhoe Mines hires Citi to advise, mulls 'range' of deals". Creamer Mining Weekly. Retrieved 19 January 2010.
  7. ↑ MacDonald, Alex (1 April 2010). "Rio Tinto moves to development phase for $US4bn Oyu Tolgoi mine". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
  8. ↑ "Oyu Tolgoi 2010 Spending Budgeted at $758 Million". Engineering Mining Journal. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
  9. ↑ "Oyu Tolgoi". 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  10. ↑ Khanbumbat Airport becomes best construction of 2012. МОНЦАМЭ.
  11. ↑ Oyu Tolgoi Press Release on Khanbumbat Airport
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