Sheremetyevo International Airport is Russia’s largest airport in terms of regular international traffic.
An intensive development and large-scale modernization of the infrastructure began at Sheremetyevo Airport in 2005. As the result of this upgrade, a number of passenger terminals increased from two to six, and their annual handling capacity — from 12 to 35 million passengers. Sheremetyevo Airport has become the biggest Russian airport complex (its area is about 480,000 sq. m).
A number of comprehensive infrastructure projects have been implemented. In the spring of 2007, a new international Terminal C with a four-level parking facility for 2,500 cars was opened. The handling capacity of Terminal C is 1,500 passengers per hour, or five million passengers a year. Terminal B (Sheremetyevo-1) is located to the left of it.
In spring 2008, a modern railway station Aeroexpress was built, and a direct railway communication en-route Moscow — Sheremetyevo was opened.
In 2008, the reconstruction of the second take-off and landing strip (TLS-2) was completed. TLS-2 length is 3,700 meters. All types of aircraft, including the Airbus-380, can take off and land on it.
In December 2008, a business aviation hangar facility capable of providing a complete maintenance of business jets offered its premium-class services.
In 2009, a modernization of Terminal F (formerly Sheremetyevo-2) was completed. For the passengers’ convenience, the sterile area was completely rebuilt, partition walls were removed for a maximum of open space, and the Duty Free area was optimized.
In autumn 2009, Terminal D was commissioned (its area is 172,000 sq. m, handling capacity is 12 million passengers annually). The air terminal complex is designed to service the flights of Aeroflot and its Sky Team alliance partners.
In spring 2010, a modern international Terminal E was opened at the Airport; its total area is 76,000 sq. m and its annual handling capacity is more than 7 million passengers. Terminal E meets the world standards of passenger and airline service quality. The new Terminal unified Terminals D, F and Aeroexpress railway station into an integrated South Terminal Complex (STC includes terminals D, E, F and Aeroexpress). The terminals are connected by means of pedestrian arcades equipped with travolators, which allows the passengers to move freely and conveniently around the complex. The Duty Free area has also become unified. Here, the passengers can do shopping in numerous duty free shops, enjoy a high quality service and a wide range of goods, including luxury products.
A total area of STC is more than 400,000 sq. m, and its annual handling capacity is 25 million passengers. The integrated complex creates all the necessary conditions for the development of Sheremetyevo Airport as the leading air hub in Russia and Eastern Europe.
In 2011, the construction of Terminal A intended for business aviation passenger service was completed in the northern part of Sheremetyevo International Airport. The new terminal includes a complete range of services for business aviation customers and will help to substantially increase the number of premium-class passengers at Sheremetyevo. A total area of the terminal is 3,000 sq. m, and its annual handling capacity is about 75,000 passengers. On January 16, 2012 the new terminal was officially set into operation.
Sheremetyevo pays a special attention to ensuring and constantly increasing the security and management efficiency level at the airport. In 2011, Sheremetyevo introduced an Airport Operation Centre (AOC); its creation was based on experience of the world’s leading airports (e.g. Zurich and Heathrow). The Airport Operation Center is a strategic breakthrough project, making it possible to control business processes, coordinate promptly the Airport divisions and third-party actions, and coordinate the joint action of all participants of service processes related to Air Force, passengers and luggage, as well as to monitor and analyze in real time the situation on the territory of Sheremetyevo.
The Airport Operation Centre includes a Situation Centre (SC) intended for cooperation of the airport top-managers, chief officers of state agencies and Sheremetyevo partners; it is activated in case of particularly difficult situations.
Today, the airport effectively uses more than 100 modern security systems as well as systems for managing business processes, quality, operation and human resources. The main role in the management of operational and technological processes at the airport belongs to the Synchron production database, which is an innovative development created by JSC SIA professionals and a unique product for the Russian airport industry. It was designed to compile seasonal schedules, maintain and correct daily arrival and departure plans, and control technological operations and production processes related to Air Force service.
Sheremetyevo airport uses up-to-date security systems — the entrances and checkpoints are equipped with metal detectors and
All the equipment is certified, meets the international requirements and is absolutely safe for the health of the passengers and staff. Sheremetyevo actively implements the policy of environmental safety and health protection. The eco management system based on the ISO-14000 international standards series has been adopted by the airport.
Sheremetyevo International Airport is the first airport in Russia to develop a validation project on sanitary protection zone (SPZ) and the sanitary clear zone which was approved by Rospotrebnadzor (Russian Federal Consumer Rights Protection and Human Health Control Service). The area of SPZ is about 11.2 sq. km, sanitary clear zone area is 693.7 sq. km. Physical exposure and air condition levels are regularly measured in specified areas to ensure environmental safety of the population.
Since 2010, Sheremetyevo Airport has participated in the research program for studying the service quality at the airports across the world ASQ (Airport Service Quality) implemented by Airport Council International (ACI World).
According to 2011 year-end results, Sheremetyevo Airport broke into the top ten European airports, and according to the results of Q4 2011, it held the 4th place in Europe in terms of passenger service quality in accordance with ACI ASQ rating.
In 2011, Sheremetyevo Airport adopted a new 20/12 standard of passenger service, according to which the first item of baggage shall be given out to passengers 12 minutes after setting the aircraft on stand (next to a jet bridge), and the last one — in 20 minutes. For the first time in Russia, Sheremetyevo also introduced a technology for informing passengers about the exact time of baggage claim and order of baggage layout in the baggage claim area for the convenience of passengers.
Sheremetyevo Airport has implemented a new service format for passengers of South-East Asia flights, taking into account cultural features. Thus, a registration controller gives a boarding card to the passengers of Asian flights with both hands, which according to Eastern tradition symbolizes a special respect and hospitality.
Sheremetyevo Airport also provides special conditions for Air France and KLM passengers, in line with the seven quality standards that are maintained by the carriers and help the staff to satisfy the passengers’ expectations and serve customers at a high level. According to the seven quality standards, service aspects are divided into two groups. The first one relates to communication and interaction between the staff and the passengers. For example, employees should be polite and attentive, involved, obliging and friendly, and also aware of good manners. The second group of principles is aimed to ensure a high level of professional expertise, to provide information regularly and to create an ambient atmosphere.
Sheremetyevo has provided new options for passengers when passing pre-flight procedures. In particular, it has become possible to book and buy tickets online at any time on Sheremetyevo Airport website; on-line and mobile check-in have also become available. In 2011, the Airport launched the world’s first electronic check-in service with the help of Skype, the major Internet telephony provider. At the airport you can find Drop Off desks for a quick baggage handling for the passengers who had used on-line, mobile or Skype check-in.
Sheremetyevo Airport actively carries out a comprehensive program on the creation of a barrier-free environment. The airport provides personal assistance to physically challenged passengers — we have set up special parking lots, information and check-in counters, twenty-four-hour medical centers, and we also provide, if necessary, medical elevators to deliver passengers on board.
In 2011, a free lounge Sirius for physically challenged passengers was opened at Sheremetyevo Airport, in Terminal E sterile area. Sirius is, so far, the only Russian lounge for passengers of this category that meets the international comfort level. The lounge is open to all physically challenged passengers departing from International Terminals D, E and F. The airport staff will accompany a checked-in passenger to the lounge and then to the departure gate. Comfortable furniture and a wide TV screen, hot drinks, free Wi-Fi and the Internet will make waiting for the flight pleasant and comfortable.
Sheremetyevo International Airport is Russia’s first airport to introduce a comprehensive plan of the future development until 2030 taking into account the parameters of the Transport Strategy of the Russian Federation. The master plan stipulates the increase of Sheremetyevo Airport handling capacity up to 64 million people, and the transit flow increase at the level of up to 25%.
To achieve the Airport strategic goals, it is necessary to create the second maneuvering area and to construct an independent third Take-off and Landing Strip (TLS-3). It will enable the Airport to increase the number of takeoff and landing operations and thus to create the conditions required for implementation of development program of Sheremetyevo strategic partner, Aeroflot airline. With the construction of TLS-3, passenger terminals handling capacity will be adjusted in line with the airfield capacity.
The master plan stipulates the construction of a new multimodal cargo complex, which will meet all applicable international standards of cargo handling. The area of the cargo complex is expected to be about 20,000 sq. m. Total cargo traffic of the Airport by 2030 will be more than 1 million tons of cargo annually. The Airport is moving steadily towards the achievement of its strategic goal — to become the best air hub in Europe in terms of passenger service quality by 2015, to increase passenger traffic up to 35 million people and to increase the share of non-aviation activities up to 60% of its total revenue.
Sheremetyevo elaborates its own strategy in line with the latest trends and the best practices in the air traffic industry, as well as with the present-day requirements to international airports, including those of aviation safety, passenger and airline service quality.
The implementation of Sheremetyevo Airport long-term plans has a positive impact on strengthening the economic stability in the region and contributes to the social welfare of the north-west area of Moscow region.
As a result of the modernization program, Sheremetyevo International Airport is to become one of the leading air hubs in Europe that embodies the ideas of innovative leadership, quality and high efficiency. This will enhance the attractiveness of Moscow as a prospective international financial center and generally raise Russia’s competitiveness.