OREANDA-NEWS. January 20, 2010. The first stage of reconstruction of Moscow’s Vnukovo international airport is to be completed in May 2010.

“The new air terminal to be commissioned within the first stage of the reconstruction will have the 173,000-square-metre area,” Deputy Director General of JSC Airport Vnukovo Mikhail Greydin said at a session of the Moscow Government on January 19.

The official added that up to 250,000 square metres of new facilities would be commissioned within Vnukovo airport when the whole reconstruction was over.

“It will enable to increase the passenger traffic to 20 million passengers a year,” Mr Greydin emphasized.

It is planned to open 99 new check-in desks and the total number of them will reach 148. Besides, there will be 78 lifts, 28 moving sidewalks and 17 luggage processing systems commissioned in Vnukovo airport when it has undergone reconstruction.

According to Mr Greydin, 16,000 square metres currently under development are intended for stores and catering facilities.