OREANDA-NEWS. April 16, 2012. Valentin Luntsevich, Deputy Head of the Republic of Karelia and Minister of Economic Development of the Republic of Karelia, has visited the airport of the town of Kostomuksha and appraised technical readiness of the airport to receive scheduled flights. Alexander Vasin, director of Petrozavodsk Airport, and technical experts have also taken part in the inspection.

During the inspection director of the airport of Kostomuksha Anatoly Brilko reported to the Minister on the progress: the flight control center is equipped with all the necessary modern lighting navigational aids of the first type to receive planes in the day-time and at night time, and communication facilities; all technical services are complete, the landing strip is prepared. The staff is 20 employees. According to specifications, the airport may receive 17-seater planes of the Antonov An-28 class of aircrafts, aircrafts of smaller capacity, as well as helicopters.

During the inspection Valentin Luntsevich has met workers of the airport and answered questions concerning changes in personnel arrangements, opportunities of work according to partial schedule, and salaries.

Simultaneously there goes examination of scheduled flights to Kostomuksha. Preliminary, it has been stated that the Antonov An-28 aircrafts will make flights three times a week, since May. One-way fare, including the subsidy of the republic, will make, presumably, 1,600 roubles. The flight time is 1 hour 10 minutes. The official site of Petrozavodsk Airport presenting all the latest update on flights and fares will be launched soon.

The decision was made to establish Petrozavodsk-Kostomuksha helicopter service on Tuesdays and Thursdays with departure from the capital of Karelia at 9.00 a.m. since April, 12. The information on possible changes in schedule and fares may be found out at the operator of Tourholding Karelia, as well as at the airport of Kostomuksha.

Currently, the commission of experts of Northwest Administration of Federal Air Transport Agency is carrying out the procedure of correspondence of the airport activity categories to normative documents. Later, pending 10 days, the commission should submit the final expert report.