On June 7 - 9, Kharkiv welcomed a big event which attracted the most influential people of the country and helped to improve the image of the city as the leading transport, technology, science and trade center of Ukraine. An international AEROFORUM dedicated to reconstruction of Kharkiv airport and construction of a new international terminal, was held. The aeroforum united nearly 700 delegates and guests from 35 countries and 50 aviation equipment producing companies.
Prime-minister of Ukraine B.Kolesnikov, together with the leader of local Organizational Board of EURO-2012 football championship M.Lubkivskiy, and the UK Ambassador in Ukraine Lee Turner were present at the opening ceremony of the forum. The sponsor of the airport construction, as well as the president of Kharkiv committee of preparing for Euro-2012 A. Yaroslavsky became the leading figure of the forum, as the main promoter of the idea of making Kharkiv more attractive as a leading sports, leisure and tourist city of Ukraine. Besides the new international airport terminal,Yaroslavskiy is also sponsoring a massive reconstruction of Kharkiv stadium Metallist, and, being the owner of the similar-named football team, he has built a whole complex of construction objects on the stadium site to provide everything possible for better trainings of the team and more comfortable rest for the football fans.
During a press-conference held within the program of the forum, A.Yaroslavskiy shared a little about his plans for the nearest future. He informed the audience that the construction of the International Airport Kharkiv will be finished by the end of August, and a number of international flights to the leading airports in 5 European countries will be set up and working by that time.
The government of Ukraine provided 1,3 billion ghryvna for construction of a new runway which will be 2,5km long. According to Yaroslavskiy, who is coordinating the construction works, 11 thousand cubic meters of concrete is being laid daily on the site, and the works never stop, day and night. The new runway will work for both, passenger and cargo-carrying transport. The old one will be used as airplane-parking area, which will accommodate about 80 planes.
In addition to the works which are already taking place in the airport, a new bus station will be built - the decision which was taken during the work of the aeroforum.
"The next aeroforum will be dedicated to the opening of the new airport terminal, or the bus station, or a hub." - says Ukrainian oligarŅh. "This will be a transition point between Europe and Asia."
