Volgograd International Airport

Volgograd International Airport (Russian: Международный Аэропорт Волгоград) (IATA: VOG, ICAO: URWW) is an airport located 15 km northwest of the city of Volgograd, formerly Stalingrad, in Russia. It comprises a civilian airport built on top of an older military runway (3300 m), now demolished. The terminal area parks 42 medium/large aircraft and 91 small aircraft.

Volgograd International Airport

Международный Аэропорт Волгоград
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorJSC "Volgograd International Airport"
ServesVolgograd
LocationVolgograd, Russia
Elevation AMSL482 ft / 147 m
Coordinates48°46′54″N 044°20′48″E / 48.78167°N 44.34667°E / 48.78167; 44.34667
WebsiteAirportVolgograd.ru
Map
VOG is located in Volgograd Oblast
VOG
VOG
Location of airport in Volgograd Oblast
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
11/29 (Closed) 7,580 2,300 Asphalt
06/24 10,761 3,280 Asphalt
Statistics (2018)
Passengers1,142,878
Sources: Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (see also provisional 2018 statistics)[1]

A military training unit was present at Gumrak as late as 1994, the 706 UAP (706th Aviation Training Regiment), using Aero L-39 aircraft.[2] However a more recent report puts 706 UAP at Beketovsk until 1997.[3] Volgograd Airport served as base for Air Volga. When the airline went bankrupt in April 2010, its aircraft and most of the routes were taken over by RusLine.

In 2012 it was announced that Volgograd airport would have a new terminal and runway built which would bring the airport up to European standards, it is currently being built and will be complete sometime in 2017.[4]

Battle of Stalingrad edit

The airport, then named Gumrak Airport, was used by the German 6th Army as fuel and supply depot (alongside with Pitomnik Airfield) during the Battle of Stalingrad in 1942–43. After the fall of Pitomnik on 17 January 1943, Gumrak was the only one of seven airfields around Stalingrad still in German hands.[5] On 22 January, a last He 111 aircraft left the airfield with 19 wounded soldiers, the last flight out of Stalingrad for the 6th Army.[6] Gumrak eventually was recaptured by the 293rd Rifle Division on 23 January, leaving the 6th Army without any means of direct support.[7]

Airport expansion for FIFA-2018 edit

 
Old terminal building, that was demolished in 2016

In 2016, the new terminal of the airport was opened for international flights. Straight after opening, the first terminal building was demolished to give more space for a new terminal extension that is planned to be equipped with air-bridges. The construction is planned to finish before 9 May, where the terminal will open for passenger service and will integrate with terminal C.[8] The current Soviet-built building (Terminal A) is planned to convert into a bus terminal.[9]

On 8 May 2018, the new terminal B for domestic flights was opened for passengers. The new runway was also opened on that day. The last third stage of the airport re-construction will be integrating terminals B and C with the walking gallery and construction of air-bridges. The works will commence after FIFA-2018 finishes.[10][11][12]

Airlines and destinations edit

 
Soviet-built terminal, currently working for international flights, that is due to be converted into an interchange center to rail and bus transports after FIFA-2018.
 
Old terminal interior
AirlinesDestinations
Aeroflot Moscow–Sheremetyevo
Azerbaijan Airlines Baku
Azimuth Mineralnye Vody, Nizhny Novgorod, Ufa
flydubai Dubai-International[13]
Ikar Perm
Nordstar Airlines Yekaterinburg
PobedaDubai-Al Maktoum,[14] Istanbul-International,[15] Moscow–Sheremetyevo, Saint Petersburg
Seasonal: Sochi (begins 1 June 2024)[16]
Red Wings Airlines Antalya, Chelyabinsk, Tyumen[17]
Rossiya Airlines Antalya, Moscow–Sheremetyevo,[18] Saint Petersburg,[18] Yerevan[19]
S7 Airlines Moscow–Domodedovo, Novosibirsk
Southwind Airlines Seasonal charter: Antalya (begins 28 April 2024)[20]
Ural Airlines Seasonal charter: Sharm El Sheikh[21]
Smartavia Bratsk, Moscow–Sheremetyevo, Saint Petersburg

Transportation edit

Bus edit

The current soviet-built terminal, after terminal B commences its operations in May, will be converted to the bus terminal. It was planned to do before FIFA World Cup 2018, but due to technical reasons, it will commence its services later.[22]

Rail edit

The railway station is integrated with Terminal A, which in future plans to turn into bus terminal. The construction of the line was finished in April 2018, tested with the first train on 11 May and commenced the first journey on 17 May 2018. The train goes to Railway Terminal Volgograd-1 and the journey takes 30 minutes.[23][24]

The train to and from Volgograd City Zone travels daily.[25]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Объемы перевозок через аэропорты России" [Transportation volumes at Russian airports]. www.favt.ru (in Russian). Federal Air Transport Agency. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  2. ^ "Volgograd/Gumrak| Волгоград Гумрак - Russian Airfield Index". www.weathergraphics.com. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  3. ^ Holm, Michael. "706th Training Aviation Regiment". ww2.dk. Retrieved 19 Jan 2016.
  4. ^ SONNE, PAUL. "Russia Kicks 2018 FIFA World Cup Plan Into High Gear". The Wall Street Journal.
  5. ^ The Great Patriotic War - 1943 accessed: 9 March 2009
  6. ^ Hitler's War on Russia Google book review, author: Charles Winchester, publisher: Osprey Publisjing, page: 111, accessed: 10 March 2009
  7. ^ Das Wolf - Third Reich militaria[permanent dead link] January 1943, accessed: 9 March 2009
  8. ^ "Терминал "B" откроют в аэропорту Волгограда 9 мая". rambler.ru. 7 March 2018.
  9. ^ "ПОДГОТОВКА К ЧМ ПО ФУТБОЛУ-2018: О ХОДЕ ВЫПОЛНЕНИЯ РАБОТ В АЭРОПОРТУ Г. ВОЛГОГРАД". aviaport.ru. 9 October 2017.
  10. ^ "Небо и земля: в Волгограде торжественно открыли новый терминал В аэропорта". novostivolgograda.ru. 8 May 2018.
  11. ^ "Максим Соколов прибыл с рабочим визитом в Волгоград". rodgor-vlg.ru. 8 May 2018.
  12. ^ "В Волгоградском аэропорту торжественно открыли новый терминал внутренних авиалиний". newdaypost.ru. 8 May 2018.
  13. ^ Csordás, Dominik (1 September 2023). "Flydubai Expands to Volgograd". Airways. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  14. ^ "Pobeda Adds Volgograd – Dubai Service From late-Oct 2023". AeroRoutes. 21 July 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  15. ^ "Авиакомпания Победа возобновила рейсы в Стамбул!". airportvolgograd.ru. Volgograd International Airport. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  16. ^ Петров, Андрей (4 February 2024). "По цене сопоставимо с поездом: из Волгограда планируют запустить прямые авиарейсы в Сочи". V1.ру - новости Волгограда (in Russian). Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  17. ^ Жукарев, Андрей. "Из Рощино запустили прямые авиарейсы до Волгограда". amp.rbc.ru. RBC. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  18. ^ a b ""Россия" открывает полеты из Москвы в Волгоград". www.rossiya-airlines.com (in Russian). «Rossiya airlines» JSC. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  19. ^ "Aeroflot adds Volgograd - Yerevan service from late-July 2022". AeroRoutes. 14 July 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  20. ^ "Из Волгограда в Турцию и Грецию с туроператором PEGAS Touristik!". Volgograd International Airport. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  21. ^ "Из Волгограда в Шарм-Эль-Шейх!". Volgograd International Airport. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  22. ^ "Волгоградский аэропорт не будет построен к ЧМ-2018". bloknot-volgograd.ru. 21 March 2018.
  23. ^ "Электрички до аэропорта Волгограда пойдут с 11 мая". kp.ru. 8 May 2018.
  24. ^ "Новая железнодорожная ветка свяжет центр города с Аэропортом Волгограда". l34.news. 27 October 2017.
  25. ^ Шереметьева, Инна (17 May 2018). "Расписание электричек в аэропорт Волгограда". kp.ru.

External links edit

  Media related to Gumrak Airport at Wikimedia Commons