- Статьи
- Society
- According to scheduled flights: Gelendzhik airport will receive more than 150 thousand passengers by the end of the summer season
According to scheduled flights: Gelendzhik airport will receive more than 150 thousand passengers by the end of the summer season
More than 150,000 passengers will be received by Gelendzhik Airport, which opened on July 18, until the end of the holiday season in October, Izvestia estimated. This figure may increase further, as airlines continue to increase the number of flights and expand the geography of flights, and the new terminal is designed for more than 1 million tourists per year. The opening of the airline will increase the tourist flow to Gelendzhik by 1.5-2 times, the tourism industry estimates. And the first passengers do not hide their emotions — the renovated terminal impressed them with its beauty even on approach, and now it will surely become the hallmark of the entire Black Sea coast. How the first flight from Moscow to Gelendzhik went, how the unique airport surprised its guests and what prospects open up for the entire Russian South — in the Izvestia article.
"Just super, cooler than in Sochi"
Without exaggeration, the historic flight SU 1082 from Moscow landed in Gelendzhik on schedule at 3:28 p.m. Passengers flew on a plane in the Gzhel livery, which it received in 2018 for the 95th anniversary of Aeroflot.
Tourists began to share their emotions even before takeoff:
— I think it's so cool, it's an aviation event. I know they're waiting for us in Gelendzhik," one of the happy passengers exclaimed.
Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Sergey Zhigunov flew to Gelendzhik on tour — and learned that the first flight was from a correspondent of Izvestia. "We didn't know, thank you, we'll open the airport," the actor was delighted. And he told me that he himself was from Rostov, and had spent his childhood in Gelendzhik.
— There was a pioneer camp named after Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya, I was sent there for the summer. That's why I know Gelendzhik very well," he said.
Actor Sergey Zhigunov and his wife Victoria Vorozhbit arrived as a passenger on an Aeroflot flight from Moscow to Gelendzhik at Gelendzhik Airport.
Indira, her husband and three children went to Gelendzhik on vacation from Nizhnevartovsk.
— We have a connecting flight. Nizhnevartovsk is far from the sea, so we decided to use the plane," she shared. — We have not been to Gelendzhik. We had a choice between Vladivostok and the southern cities. We decided to go to Gelendzhik on the recommendations of friends and acquaintances. A lot of families with children go there, and everyone is very happy.
Tickets were booked via the hotline as soon as they learned about the opening of flights — and everything miraculously turned out the first time.
Another passenger, Yulia, went to Gelendzhik for work: she works for one of the production companies and prepares a tour of the Bolshoi Theater in the resort city.
"The opening of the airport greatly simplifies our logistics, it is so beautiful, large, and convenient," she shared.
Svetlana Tyurikova and her family were the first to purchase tickets to Gelendzhik, which the senior flight attendant solemnly announced to the passengers. The lucky ones were given an Airbus A321 model as a souvenir, and in Gelendzhik there were equally pleasant gifts from the airport and the city. The commemorative sets went to all passengers of the landmark flight.
Svetlana Tyurikova, who bought the first flight ticket with gifts from Aeroflot in the cabin
Four hours on board flew by unnoticed — people were smiling, sharing emotions, stories and news with each other. Many filmed what was happening on smartphones. The flight attendants were assembled, but feeling the solemnity of the moment, they were a little worried. There was special preparation for this flight, as flights to Gelendzhik had not been performed for a long time, the aircraft commander Andrei Krakhmalev told the Izvestia correspondent.
"After today's flight, we will prepare a report for other pilots, and the next flight will be performed according to our recommendations," he said.
On the runway, the plane was greeted with a water arch - this is a beautiful solemn tradition of airports for special occasions. The flight was met by the heads of the Federal Air Transport Agency and the Krasnodar Territory, the city and the airport, as well as numerous journalists. Governor Veniamin Kondratiev is confident that Gelendzhik will become the most popular destination.
— I think that next year we will receive twice as many passengers as before the reconstruction of the airport. Because this is a state—of-the-art airport complex, and Gelendzhik as a whole is a resort of a different level. New facilities, infrastructure, and a different level of service are Gelendzhik," said the head of the region.
Upon entering the new building, the first guests heard Philip's velvety baritone, an electronic voice synthesized by artificial intelligence that voices all announcements at the airport. It was specially selected so that passengers would like it. In general, there is a special acoustic atmosphere inside the building — announcements from the arrival area are not audible to those who fly out, and vice versa. At the same time, there are no continuous overlaps, and the effect is achieved due to unique sound insulation panels.
— It's just super, cooler than in Sochi. It seems to me that there are few airports in Russia that are so futuristic, beautiful, and functional. Well done. I am proud of my country," Alyona Myalo, who arrived in Gelendzhik from Moscow on this first flight, did not hide her emotions.
View of the building of the new Gelendzhik Airport terminal
Passengers also appreciated the navigation — it is as simple and visible as possible.
— It is very comfortable to be inside, easy and free to breathe. The summer heat is not felt at all, there is a special, very pleasant atmosphere here," said Anna from Moscow.
The airport is amazing
A building with an area of almost 17 thousand square meters, capable of withstanding an earthquake of 8 points, 13 check-in desks, six boarding gates, cafes and restaurants, VIP and business halls, a bank branch, parking for 430 cars and an additional parking lot, which will open in the near future, a unique landscaped park around — these are the main characteristics the airport. And, most importantly, every inch of the area is used here to maximum effect. As a result, the terminal can simultaneously handle 10 flights at once, and its capacity is almost 900 passengers per hour. And it can accommodate over 1 million people annually.
It is one of the most technologically advanced airports in the country. All processes are automated as much as possible so that passengers spend as little time as possible before and after the flight, but at the same time so that everything is reliably protected, said Sergey Chistyakov, head of the Transport and Aviation Security Service.
— The security systems at our airport are among the most advanced. Entrance controls and screening lines are equipped with the latest introscopes for baggage inspection," he told Izvestia.
The staff of the transport security service and the police have advanced video surveillance systems at their disposal.:
"We can monitor in real time what is happening at the airport as a whole, in the surrounding area, and ensure the safety of both passengers and aircraft employees," added Sergey Chistyakov.
The new terminal was built in a record 18 months and was scheduled to open in early 2022. However, for security reasons, Gelendzhik was included in the list of 11 airports in Southern Russia that did not accept airplanes. During the forced break, according to Ivan Taranchenko, General Director of Aviagavan, weekly training flights were conducted and all systems were checked in order to be ready for opening at any moment.
The roof of the terminal is a special pride and, without exaggeration, a masterpiece of engineering. The structure is assembled from more than 2.5 thousand unique steel spheres — there is no such thing in any airport in the country. You can evaluate it already on the approach to the resort. The architects, inspired by the bird soaring over Gelendzhik Bay, used smooth lines to give the building weightlessness. Inside, this effect is enhanced — the structural ceiling symbolizes the plumage, and the dynamic lighting changes color throughout the day — the sun reflecting in the seawater, sunset or starry sky.
The overall idea is supported by the smooth contours of the transparent, almost invisible facade. It is a continuous ribbon of unique curved glasses, produced by only one manufacturer in the Russian Federation.
The author of the concept is the famous Italian architect Massimiliano Fuksas, among the works of his Studio Fuksas office are the exhibition pavilion in Milan, the Armani Ginza tower in Tokyo and many others. Joint-Stock Bank ROSSIYA and VTB Bank, which acted as investors, helped bring the unique airport project in Gelendzhik to life.
Transport hub in the South
Airlines did not expect such an explosive demand for Gelendzhik — almost all tickets for the first flights sold out in a few hours. Therefore, Aeroflot, which has been operating flights in this direction since July 18, had to switch from an Airbus A320 to a more spacious A321A, and launch a third daily flight from August.
In August, S7 and Ural Airlines will fly from Moscow to Gelendzhik, and Smartavia from St. Petersburg. Surgut and Tyumen have also appeared in the airport's schedule, flights from there will be operated by UTair, and Novosibirsk will be operated by S7.
Based on the current timetable, airlines will transport over 150,000 passengers to Gelendzhik and back by the end of the season in October, Izvestia estimated. This figure is likely to grow further, as carriers continue to increase the number of flights and expand the geography of flights. As a result, the tourist flow to the resort city will grow 1.5-2 times, the Russian Union of Tourism Industry (PCT) told Izvestia. Local authorities also agree with this assessment.
"Undoubtedly, the improvement of logistics will have a positive impact on the growth rate of the tourist flow," the press service of the Gelendzhik municipal Administration told Izvestia. — At the same time, the opportunity to get to the resort by plane will ensure an increase in guests during the off-season, starting at the end of September. First of all, we forecast an increase in the number of short-term business events, which will be key influenced by the emergence of a new transport scheme.
Growth is expected in the medical tourism sector, as well as in the organization of sanatorium treatment, the press service noted.
— People with chronic diseases and guests on "Mother and Child" vouchers often refused trips to the resorts of the region in favor of the Kavminvod and Srednyaya band sanatoriums, as it was quite difficult for many to get from Sochi airport. Now it is possible to predict an increase in the tourist flow for vouchers for sanatorium treatment by at least 10-15% for the off-season period, the Gelendzhik administration believes.
The medical sector of the city is ready to increase the flow. For example, Izvestia was told about the expansion of opportunities for receiving patients from different regions of Russia in the multidisciplinary clinic "My Medical Center", which is the only private medical institution in the region to which the Ministry of Health allocates quotas for high—tech compulsory health care.
In general, according to local authorities, the booking rate in Gelendzhik for this summer season already exceeds 80%, and the peak is expected at the very end of July — August, at which time the resort's one-time load will be about 116-120 thousand people. A day's stay for two in the most affordable hotels starts on average from 2.5 thousand rubles, in four—star hotels — from 10.5 thousand, and in five-star hotels - from 37 thousand rubles.
Along with Gelendzhik, the demand for nearby destinations is growing. According to aggregators, over the past week, the number of bookings in the village of Dzhubga increased by a third, in Anapa and Vityazevo — by 22%, in Divnomorskoye — by 18%, in Kabardinka — by 16%, in Novorossiysk — by 14%. And this is understandable, because Gelendzhik is located in the center of the resort region, Natalia Osipova, executive director of the Alliance of Travel Agencies, told Izvestia.
— These are Krasnodar, Anapa, Novorossiysk. Arriving in Gelendzhik, you can take a train and get to these cities and even to Kerch. Therefore, the opening of flights will significantly simplify logistics," she said.
View of Anapa resort town
The Ostrovok service also believes that the launch of the airport in Gelendzhik will create additional transport accessibility to the Black Sea coast and partially reduce the load on neighboring hubs, primarily Sochi.
Most travelers traditionally prefer to travel to the Russian South by car, the opening of the airport will help partially relieve congested roads, the PCT believes.
— It's faster to fly on vacation, and it costs about the same if you take into account the cost of gasoline and toll roads. So it is quite expected that some tourists transfer to airplanes," explained Petr Shkumatov, an auto expert and head of the working group of the Popular Front for the Protection of Motorists' Rights.
Gelendzhik Records
In the tourism industry, no one doubts that with the opening of Gelendzhik airport, it will fully compete with Sochi, and in some ways even surpass the southernmost city of the Russian Black Sea coast. After all, only in Gelendzhik you can walk along the longest embankment — as much as 14 km, see the world's first floating marine light and music fountain and the largest yacht marina in Russia, which was built in the area of the Thin Cape. The city has its own year-round golf club. And Gelendzhik Arena is a cultural life center, where concerts, performances, and exhibitions are regularly held.
In the near future, we plan to create a 65—hectare park that has no analogues in the country and build a resort hall with a musical embankment. It will be an open space with an amphitheater, a marine organ, a water path and a recreation area.
Wine tourism is sure to become a separate vacation destination in Gelendzhik, because there are many famous wineries in the vicinity of the city. And this year, a whole wine city will open — "White Cape". On an area of 42 thousand square meters. m. there are restaurants, a wine library with the largest collection of domestic wine in the country — over a thousand items from 150 producers from all wine-growing corners of Russia, a wine museum, venues for gastronomic and wine festivals, a laboratory center, tasting rooms and even a cinema. The unique project was created by the ROSSIYA Group of Joint Stock Bank, which has been investing in the industry for several years.
By the way, Gelendzhik guests will be able to taste local wines at the airport, in the "My Wine" hall. The entire domestic palette of varieties is presented there.
Another gift for residents and guests of the resort will be a unique multimedia screen that is clearly visible from various points of the city and on which the rich history of this unique place can be seen not just in all its glory, but with 3D effects.
Tourists also came to Gelendzhik in the absence of flights — since the beginning of 2025, 1.8 million people have already had a rest in the city - 3% more than a year earlier. The new airport will not only significantly increase the tourist flow and open this amazing resort to residents from different parts of Russia, but will also give an impetus to the development of the entire Russian South.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
