INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The Gelendzhik regional airport on the Black Sea coast invited its very first industrial flight on Friday, more than three years after it
was shuttered due to airspace limitations enforced in the wake of Russias full-scale intrusion of Ukraine.An Aeroflot Airbus A321 took off
from Moscows Sheremetyevo Airport on Friday afternoon and touched down in Gelendzhik, located in the resort-heavy Krasnodar region, around
local time.The arrival of the passenger plane was marked with pomp: a ceremonial water salute from fire engine and a welcome committee of
officials, electronic cameras and reporters.Videos shared by state media showed the gray airplane moving into the little coastal airport,
which has been idle because early 2022, when Russia grounded civilian flights at airports near the warzone over security concerns.Regional
Governor Veniamin Kondratyev called the airports resuming an essential development for a resort region with such a large circulation of
tourists, adding that approximately 400,000 individuals are currently vacationing in Krasnodar.Visitors can now plan new travel paths, and
logistics have ended up being much simpler, he composed on Telegram.Russias Transportation Ministry announcedGelendzhik Airports reopening
earlier this month but did not say when the first flight would occur
An unnamed ministry authorities informed pro-Kremlin media at the time thatthe airport would reopen for daytime flights only.Gelendzhik is
the 2nd regional airport in Russia to resume service because the 2022 shutdowns
Elista Airport in the republic of Kalmykiawas the firstto resume service in May 2024 after being considered safe from Ukrainian drone
strikes.Other airports remain closed, though authorities have actually hinted that they could resume depending on security conditions
A test flight landed at the Pashkovsky Airport in the Krasnodar area in December, however prepares to restart commercial service there were
quietly shelved.Gelendzhiks revamped terminal, completed just months before the war began, cost 6 billion rubles ($68 million) and spans
almost 17,000 square meters
It has the ability to deal with up to 900 guests per hour and over 1 million annually.The airport wasdesigned by the Italian architects
Doriana and Massimiliano Fuksas.
