Ust-Kut Airport Runway Overhaul to Begin After 60 Years
This summer, the main phase of capital repairs will begin at Ust-Kut Airport. The issue was discussed at a meeting of Irkutsk Oblast Governor Igor Kobzev with the head of UTair airline Andrei Martirosov and representatives of the Irkutsk Oil Company.
As reported by the regional head«s press service, the repair project has already been coordinated with Rosaviatsia and received a positive conclusion from the Main State Expert Review. Now the authorities are waiting for the tender to be announced and a contractor to be selected.
«We expect that the main work will be completed during this year«s construction season,» said Igor Kobzev.
During the repairs, the two-kilometer-long runway, taxiways, apron, and aircraft parking areas will be brought up to standard. A total of almost 153,000 square meters of pavement will be renewed. The lighting equipment will also be replaced. The work will be paid for from the federal budget, with the Civil Airports Administration acting as the client.
UTair General Director Andrei Martirosov said that the runway will be completely restored: the concrete base will be repaired and covered with several layers of asphalt.
«The runway at Ust-Kut Airport is artificial and has a concrete surface. The contractor will have to carry out its complete restoration, applying several layers of asphalt concrete. This will allow the airport to accommodate modern aircraft of a much wider variety of types, and the updated runway will last for at least another fifteen years,» Martirosov noted.
Currently, Ust-Kut Airport mainly handles turboprop aircraft — An-24, An-74, ATR-72. After the repairs, it will also be able to handle jet airliners, including the Sukhoi Superjet and Embraer 170. This should improve flight safety and increase the number of passengers.
Recall that Ust-Kut Airport was founded in 1963. It is key for transporting shift workers and cargo to the north of Irkutsk Oblast, Yakutia, and Krasnoyarsk Krai. On average, there are 4 flights per day, although the waiting room can only hold 50 people, which is the capacity of one An-24 flight. The runway has not been repaired since the airport was founded, and the airport can handle far from all types of aircraft.
In 2021, it was reported that in 2025–2030, Ust-Kut is scheduled to have its runway reconstructed, along with taxiways and local wastewater treatment facilities. For this, 2.7 billion rubles (approximately $30 million at current rates) were planned to be allocated from the federal budget.
