Stroytransgaz JSC has completed reconstruction of the airport in the Solovetsky Islands

Stroytransgaz JSC has completed reconstruction of the airport in the Solovetsky Islands, the contract for reconstruction was signed in December 2018. The Customer is the State Public Institution of the Arkhangelsk region “The Main Directorate for Capital Construction ”. The airport renovation project has been implemented under the national program for the Solovetsky Archipelago infrastructure development.

Information signs

Lighting navigational aids container

The airport system, built more than 70 years ago, is in Big Solovetsky Island, 165 km to the south of the polar circle line. It is located near the Solovetsky State Historical, Architectural and Natural Museum-Reserve. The passenger terminal of the airport is a three-storey wooden building and earlier had only one 1,500 m long runway. As a result of extended operation, the existing runway pavement has been in a critical condition and its further operation posed risks to the safety of air passengers.

Weather equipment, control container

JSC STG’s works comprised of:

• Runway renovation with pavement replacement;
• Construction of a new taxiway and apron for 4 nos. aircrafts with a de-icing treatment area;
• Installation of lighting navigational aids; 
• Construction of flight-support weather and ornithological facilities, electric power supply facilities, complex of treatment facilities, discharge header, water draining trenches along the runway, patrol road;
• Arrangement of a perimeter barrier of the facility;
• Hydroseeding of perennial grasses.

Moreover, JSC Stroytransgaz together with the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences carried out a large-scale two-year ornithological survey as part of the airport reconstruction. Based on its results, recommendations were updated and additional activities were developed that will minimize the adverse impact of the operating airfield on the environment and habitat conditions of birds and, above all, will eliminate the likelihood of accidents due to birds. This has become particularly true now, because the airport area was expanded after reconstruction, and in the near future the number and capacity of coming aircrafts will significantly increase.

The survey results were handed over to a special airport service, whose staff will monitor the number of birds living nearby, study the migration routes of birds, carry out work to scare them away using special means and measures, thereby ensuring absolute safety for aircraft and their passengers.

The renovation of the airport has enabled to significantly improve the paved runway performance so that the airport could handle modern heavier aircrafts, ensure the required level of passenger safety and double its throughput capacity.

Lighting navigational aids

Additional information

Solovetsky Islands are located in the western part of the White Sea and include six islands with the total area of over 300 sq. km. In the XV century the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Solovetsky Monastery was created in Solovki, the largest monastery in the Russian North, which was later reorganized into a historical, architectural and natural museum-reserve. There are also several churches of the XVI-XIX centuries. In 1992 the complex of monastery monuments was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in 1995 it was included in the list of especially valuable tangible cultural heritage of peoples of Russia.