OREANDA-NEWS. March 04, 2011. The Marculesti airport modernization project to establish the international logistics center in it is estimated at 16.7 million euros. It is planned to be implemented in the framework of the TRACECA project (the Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia).

It was said by the general manager of the public enterprise Marculesti international free airport Serghei Ciobanu at the meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Moldova Valerii Lazar. The investments at the first stage in 2012-2014 are planned to total 10 million euros, at the second state in 2015-2018 – 4 million euros, at the third state – in 2019-2022 – 2.7 million euros.

The funds will be used to provide an appropriate lighting of the airport for it to be able to receive planes at night as well, to repair the landing strip, to improve the airport’s territory, to purchase 10 new planes, to open air schools to train pilots. It is also planned to create a reserve airport in Marculesti which would receive planes in grave weather conditions in Chisinau, for them not to land in Romania or Ukraine, like they do now.

The Marculesi airport situated near Balti has worked since 1957 as a military first class airfield. In 2004, the former military base of aviation of the USSR Black Sea fleet obtained the status of a civil airport and in 2008, the Moldovan authorities decided to establish a free economic zone on the basis of the former military airfield.

The airport’s administration plans to establish the international transit freight traffic center on its basis and to attract low-cost airlines for passenger transportation. The Marculesti airport currently has 5 MIi-8 helicopters, a MI-2 helicopter, a Robinson helicopter, two AN-72 planes, a AN-26, a Yak-18, a PIPER PA28, a Cesna 15, two BEECH 95B55 planes. Valerii Lazar said transformation of the public enterprise into a joint-stock company is possible for development and attraction of investments, also noting the possibility of funds attraction in the framework of the public-private partnership.