DME builds capacity to handle more passengers, cargo

Moscow Domodedovo Airport (DME) is the largest air hub in Russia. During the ten months of 2014 the passenger traffic of DME amounted to 28.69 million passengers that is 7.9 percent more year over year. The number of flights increased by 6.5 percent. The airport’s cargo traffic in January-October of 2014 amounted to 153,000 tonnes and it is 5.7 percent less than in the same period last year. Alexey Yarosh, aviation marketing director, Moscow Domodedovo Airport, shares latest development from DME.

What is the rate of growth you see in passenger and cargo traffic over the last few months?
During the ten months of 2014 the passenger traffic of Moscow Domodedovo Airport (DME) amounted to 28.69 million passengers that is 7.9 percent more year over year. The number of flights increased by 6.5 percent year over year. Moscow Domodedovo Airport cargo traffic in January-October of 2014 amounted to 153,000 tonnes and it is 5.7 percent less than in the same period last year. Due to our leading position in Moscow Air Hub (MAH) and in Russia (DME is the largest airport in Russia) and our proactive policy as well the reduction of cargo traffic in DME is not as high as in the whole country (-7.9 percent) and in MAH (-9.9 percent).

Decrease of cargo volumes in general results from such factors as, for example, the instability of currency rates, the declining oil prices, the serious political instability in the world. Due to these factors the carriers start to use cheaper ways of cargo transportation (e.g. highway transport, water carriage). According to the statistics (using the example of the crisis of 2008/2009), the cargo traffic is often the first to “respond” to the difficulties on market, because consumer goods are mainly used to be transported and demand for these goods is related to the economical environment in the world.

What are some of the important initiatives by Domodedovo to attract more passenger and cargo transit through the airport? In terms of infrastructure what are some of the plans that Domodedovo airport has in mind?
According to the ACI Europe classification, Moscow Domodedovo Airport is among the largest hubs in Europe with annual passenger traffic exceeding 25 million passengers. During the summer months of 2014 DME was a leader in terms of the passenger traffic grow rate (due to ACI Europe reports). Having the widest in the country route network (229 destinations, including 86 unique for the MAH) DME offers a large variety of connections that are optimal for transit cargo transportation. For the moment we are on the way toward airport’s development plan to be realized. This plan includes increase of production capacities to make the conditions for our clients more convenient considering the performance increase in terms of passenger traffic. At the same time we are expecting situation on Russian cargo market will stabilize therefore our development is done in such directions as the new segment of the Passenger Terminal implementation (at the beginning of 2017 the new segment of terminal for international flights is going into operation), reconstruction of the 2nd runway (it will allow to increase aerodrome handling capacity up to 98 take-off and landing operations per hour), building of the new cargo terminal.

There is a plan to built Aerotropolis on the base of Moscow Domodedovo Airport – it will be the city with the area of over 16,000 ha where logistic and transport hubs, malls, hotel and business buildings will be localized near the airport. Furthermore one of the prior lines of development is transport infrastructure modernization and improvement of DME accessibility by highway expansion, multilevel crossroads construction on a federal road. All these projects are realized with the state support as the Russian Government is fully engaged in the airport’s infrastructure development.

Developing the infrastructure for reception and handling of cargo at Moscow Domodedovo Airport works on building the new cargo terminal with a total area of 26,000 square metre and warehouses area of 15 600 square metre is planned to set in operation in the fourth quarter of 2015. It will expand capacities in the part of freight handling and its storage – with a new area opening the airport will be able to handle 405,000 tons of cargo annually (+113 percent). Moreover the airport is working under the “Cargo Village” project – the extensive cargo complex.

To improve the cargo services provided to our clients we organize procedures for reception/delivery of domestic and international cargo from the “second line” warehouses located near the airport.

Moscow Domodedovo Airport adopts the new technology of cargo handling - for the moment palletized cargo is handled on ULD and it doesn’t require cargo to be unconsolidated. The new procedure helps us to move to a new level of engagement with the main clients of international carriers because it speeds up the process of freight customs clearance. The technology of palletized cargo handling becomes widely used on international and domestic flights.

The biggest companies, selling cargo carriage services of airlines operated in DME, are interested in this innovation and modernize their warehouses to have a possibility to make up cargo on their territory that will give them an opportunity to pass to cargo terminal ULDs that are almost ready for transportation. We also introduced the new services for re-registration of cargo arriving in DME simplifies process of cargo transportation to final destination. It concerns arrived cargo that needs to be dispatched to further points. We take on all the cargo execution process. It allows consignors just to fill in airway bill and pay for cargo transportation.

On the cargo front what are some of the facilities offered at the airport to handle different commodities?
There are dedicated areas for storing different categories of goods in the cargo terminal. Valuable goods are stored in a special room equipped with alarm systems, fire protection, temperature and humidity control. Perishable goods have special facilities with refrigeration equipment. Dangerous goods of all classes and categories, explosive and radioactive substances is stored in the areas equipped with modern systems, e.g. the area for radioactive materials handling is fitted with spectrometer systems, gamma-radiation spectrometers, radiometers spectrometers. Appropriate conditions are provided for live animals keeping in the cargo terminal including the veterinary checks department with around-the-clock work.