Novosibirsk International Airport (Tolmachevo) is the largest airport in eastern Russia, serving major air routes between Europe and Asia. More than 30 Russian and foreign airlines operate passenger flights from Novosibirsk International Airport, offering regular services to the most important cities in Russia and abroad.
In 2019, Tolmachevo Airport was used by more than 6.747 million passengers, and, the number of passengers increased by more than 14% from 2018. Such a growth rate in passenger traffic makes Novosibirsk one of the fastest-growing among all Russian airports.
The high growth of passenger traffic is the result of the airport’s convenient geographical location, combined with the intensive development of the route network and frequency of flights.
Tolmachevo serves Novosibirsk – which, with a population of 1.6 million, is the third-largest city in Russia after Moscow and St Petersburg – the administrative centre of the Novosibirsk region and the Siberian Federal District, and the largest business and cultural centre of the region. The airport’s services are also used by residents of regions adjacent to Novosibirsk, from the cities of Tomsk, Barnaul, Novokuznetsk and Kemerovo.
Sense of place
The advantageous geographical location and well-developed international network, connecting Novosibirsk with more than 100 domestic and international destinations, makes the airport a unique point of entry into the Siberian region, with the opportunity to travel to the regions of Lake Baikal, Altai, Buryatia, Khakassia and the Kamchatka Peninsula. Novosibirsk is in a unique position for tourism: it is a starting point of many tours in Siberia, revealing the unique beauty of the Siberian region and the warmth of the local hospitality to the world.
The schedule of flights is continually updated with new routes, and the number of flights to popular destinations is increasing. Tolmachevo currently has one of the most developed regional route networks. Significant impetus for the development of the regional flights from Novosibirsk was established in 2013 by the state regional transport subsidy programme. As part of this programme, Novosibirsk was selected as a hub airport for the development of regional air routes. At its base, regional air services are developing in over 30 destinations, including in regions with high tourist potential: the Altai Republic, Khakassia, Tuva, Buryatia.
In addition to regional routes, Novosibirsk International Airport has a well-developed domestic and international network. There are more than 14 daily flights to Moscow, along with direct regular flights to a number of major cities in Germany, Czech Republic, Turkey and China, which provide excellent opportunities for incoming tourists from Europe and Asia. In the near future, the airport plans to begin operating flights to Milan, Hannover, Warsaw and Tel Aviv, and increase the frequency of flights to Prague, Frankfurt, Dubai and other cities.
Enter the transfer market
Currently, the airport is implementing a set of activities required for the development of the airport as a transfer gateway — in particular, an airport transfer project is being implemented in cooperation with base air company S7 Airlines’ and other partner airlines. The proportion of transfer passengers in the total passenger traffic of the airport has already risen from 10% in 2015 to 26% in 2019. All this should enhance the position of Novosibirsk International Airport as Russia’s largest regional connecting hub.
A new terminal in Tolmachevo airport is being constructed today in the format of public-private partnership and investment projects. Moreover, the reconstruction of the acting two runways is being planned. The project of reconstruction of the Tolmachevo passenger terminal complex is planned to be completed by 2025 in two stages; the first stage ends in 2022. Private investment of 20.5 bln rubles will be provided before 2025 to support the project and construction of the passenger terminal. By 2023, the airport plans to increase the passenger traffic up to 10 million people per year.
The reconstruction of Tolmachevo airport is carried out according to part 15 of the Decree of the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, of 7 May 2018 No. 204 ‘Concerning National Purposes and Strategic Aims of the Development of the Russian Federation until 2024’. The development of Tolmachevo Airport is one of the main stages in the preparation of Novosibirsk to Ice Hockey World Junior Championship 2023.
Finally, this will help the airport to become the most convenient point of entry to Russia, and make visits to Siberia spectacular and memorable.