Emperor Nicholas II Murmansk Airport (russian: Аэропо́рт Му́рманска им. Николая II or ; ) is an international airport serving the city

Murmansk Murmansk (Russian: ''Мурманск'' lit. "Norwegian coast"; Finnish: ''Murmansk'', sometimes ''Muurmanski'', previously ''Muurmanni''; Norwegian: ''Norskekysten;'' Northern Sámi: ''Murmánska;'' Kildin Sámi: ''Мурман ланнҍ'') ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

. It is located near the town of Murmashi in Murmansk's southern suburbs, outside the city centre. It serves as the

airline hub An airline hub or hub airport is an airport used by one or more airlines to concentrate passenger traffic and flight operations. Hubs serve as transfer (or stop-over) points to help get passengers to their final destination. It is part of the ...

for Smartavia. As of 2019, it is the 31st busiest airport in Russia and 53st busiest airport in the former USSR. The airport served 763,668 passengers in 2016, an increase of 1.65% from 2015. In 2017 it served 845,928 passengers, an increase of 10.8% from 2016.

History

Previously, the airfield had military significance and was called Murmashi airfield. During the

Soviet-Finnish war The Winter War,, sv, Vinterkriget, rus, Зи́мняя война́, r=Zimnyaya voyna. The names Soviet–Finnish War 1939–1940 (russian: link=no, Сове́тско-финская война́ 1939–1940) and Soviet–Finland War 1 ...

, the Soviet 147th fighter aviation regiment, provided with Polikarpov I-15 bis, I-16 and I-153 aircraft, was based at the airfield. After the German invasion of USSR, the 147th fighter aviation regiment performed tasks to cover Murmansk and the Kirov railway from German air raids. From July 1941, the regiment received MiG-3 aircraft, which it used until the spring of 1942. In mid-July 1941, the regiment included four MiG-3s designed to intercept enemy bombers and by the end of the month received 17 MiG-3s. In January 1942, the regiment received

P-40 Tomahawk The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground-attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and ...

aircraft. The regiment was based at the airfield until the spring of 1945. In November 2015,

Novaport Novaport Holding is a Russian transport company which operates regional airports, and holds interests in the operation of several other airports. History Before the official creation of Novaport, the company's owner bought a 38% stake in Tolmach ...

bought out the Murmansk Airport from its former owner, Gazprom Oil, with the aim to develop flights from the low-cost airline Pobeda to the airport.

Terminals

Passenger terminal

On the ground floor of the only passenger terminal there are check-in counters, waiting room, international zone, cafes and souvenir shops. On the second floor there is a cafe, a Duty-free shop, airline representative offices and souvenir shops. The Duty-free store is located only in the international zone. The arrival zones are located on the first floors — in the right ("arrival hall B") and left ("arrival hall A") wings of the building. There is also a hall for VIP guests, where inspection and check-in takes place separately from other passengers.

Cargo terminal

The cargo terminal with an area of 400 m² is located on a fenced territory, in the area under responsibility for transport security.

Airlines and destinations

Statistics

Accidents and incidents

On 11 November 1965, Aeroflot Flight 99 crashed while on approach to Murmansk Airport. 32 of the 64 passengers and crew on board were killed in the accident.Aeroflot Flight 99 at Aviation Safety Network
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In popular culture

In the novel '' The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul'' by

Douglas Adams Douglas Noel Adams (11 March 1952 – 11 May 2001) was an English author and screenwriter, best known for ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''. Originally a 1978 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (radio series), BBC radio comedy, ''The H ...

, it is stated that Murmansk Airport is the only airport that is not full of tired, cross people who have found that their luggage is in Murmansk Airport. The airport also briefly serves as a location in the

Alex Rider ''Alex Rider'' is a series of spy novels written by British author Anthony Horowitz. The novels revolve around a teenage spy named Alex Rider and is primarily aimed towards young adults. The series currently comprises thirteen novels, as we ...

novel '' Skeleton Key'' by

Anthony Horowitz Anthony John Horowitz, (born 5 April 1955) is an English novelist and screenwriter specialising in mystery and suspense. His works for children and young adult readers include ''The Diamond Brothers'' series, the '' Alex Rider'' series, and '' ...

References

External links

* {{authority control Airports built in the Soviet Union Airports in Murmansk Oblast

Airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surfa ...

Novaport Airports in the Arctic