Andrey Chibis, Governor of the Murmansk Region, took part in the opening ceremony of the renovated Khibiny Airport terminal complex. The large-scale reconstruction was completed, among other things, thanks to the agreement on socio-economic partnership between the government of the Murmansk Region and PhosAgro.
"This is indeed a worthy, conscientious project. And I would like to thank our partners from PhosAgro for its implementation. It is important that, in addition to developing production, colleagues also take care of residents of several cities in the region, who are more comfortable using the services of this particular air harbor," said Andrey Chibis, Governor of the Murmansk Region. - The development of Khibiny Airport does not end there. Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin supported our initiative, and now we will modernize the airport's runway and apron, including through federal funding. This will allow him to radically expand his capabilities."
Thanks to the head of the region, federal support was achieved for the reconstruction of the Khibiny airfield. In 2024, the Government of the Murmansk Region and the Federal Air Transport Agency signed an agreement on the provision of subsidies from the federal budget for these purposes within the framework of the national project "Efficient Transport System". The total cost of reconstruction is 6.671 billion rubles, of which the federal budget funds are 3.8 billion rubles. The date of reconstruction is 2029. Currently, the project documentation is undergoing state expertise.
And today, the building of the airport complex has received an updated facade, new entrances, as well as external engineering networks. The forecourt has also been transformed: asphalt pavement, curb stone have been replaced, lawns and sidewalks have been updated.
The level of service for passengers has increased significantly. Storage areas have been increased. Previously, this area could accommodate about 140 passengers. Today there are two halls with 406 seats. The common area in front of the check-in desks is equipped with seating for 147 passengers. The terminal's capacity has been increased 2.5 times, from 120 passengers/hour to 300 passengers/hour. The volume of passenger traffic is growing annually. So, if in 2022 149.5 thousand people used the airport's services, then in 2025 – 197.5 thousand people - an increase of 25%.
The development of Khibiny Airport is an important infrastructure project of PhosAgro. Recall that Khibiny is the official airport of the Bolshoy Woodyavr ski resort, which is one of the top five resorts in Russia.
"Every year, the Big Wood Tournament gives us reasons to be proud. And it's not so much about attendance records. They underlie much more serious and significant processes that are taking place in the economy of Kirovsk and Apatity as a result of the growing popularity of the resort. For example, in Kirovsk, the number of hotels and catering facilities has doubled in the last seven years alone, and the amount of money tourists spend here every year has increased more than sevenfold. All these are new jobs, additional budget revenues and, as a result, an increase in the quality of life of Northerners. And we are proud that at the heart of all this is the company's decision to develop active tourism in Khibiny," said Alexander Gilgenberg, PhosAgro CEO.
The Murmansk Region is the closest Arctic, and interest in it is steadily growing. Today, every third Arctic tourist chooses our region. In cooperation with major investors and partners, the regional government ensures the development of transport infrastructure, which is one of the priorities of the national program "Live in the North!" An important area of work is the availability of flights for residents. Thanks to regional support, Northerners have the opportunity to travel at no extra cost: the regional government takes on a significant part of the costs by subsidizing air travel. One of such popular destinations is Saint Petersburg.
/Ministry of Information Policy of the Murmansk Region/
Photo: Alexander Sharanov
