Business news

MINSK, 23 October (BelTA) – The second runway in the Minsk National Airport will be commissioned in 2019, BelTA learned from Belarusian Transport and Communications Minister Anatoly Sivak on 23 October.

The official said: “The runway will be opened in 2019 when air temperature climbs above zero. We need time for certification and tuning.” Anatoly Sivak pointed out that no anti-icing materials will be applied to the new runway this winter. The decision will extend its service life.

Anatoly Sivak once again noted that before the second runway becomes available, the Transport and Communications Ministry is somewhat limited in its efforts to develop transportation by air. “Large transcontinental transportation of passengers by air was limited because the capacity of the existing runway was exhausted. According to the calculations we had and were to follow, we could allow only 70 landings and takeoffs of transcontinental aircraft on the existing runway per year. The fact limited our options in negotiations with other companies, particularly foreign ones. Once the new runway is available, this problem will go away,” said Anatoly Sivak.