Alexander Sinelnikov was named the acting CEO of Nizhniy’s Strigino international airport (GOJ). This decision has been made at the airport’s board meeting. The company’s stockholders meeting scheduled for March 18 is expected to confirm his appointment.

The major challenge Sinelnikov will have to meet as GOJ’s general director is the airport modernization project with 2011-2021 timeframe and cost of more than RUR 2.5 billion (around USD 84 million).

The project aims at making GOJ one of the key hubs in Central Russia. Its first stage stipulates the construction of the new passenger terminal with total area of 15 thousand square meters and project cost around RUR 1 billion. The new terminal should be launched in 2014 and have the handling capacity of 600 passengers per hour.

The completion of the second stage in 2013-2016 with budget around RUR 450 million should add 15 thousand square meters to the terminal and increase its handling capacity to 800 passengers per hour. This stage will also stipulates two passenger jet bridges installation to serve the projected 450 thousand passengers per year.

The third stage should boost the handling capacity to 960 passengers per hour and increase the terminal’s area to 24 thousand square meters by 2021. The final stage’s budget is around RUR 300 million.

Apart from the passenger terminal reconstruction the airport’s modernization plan includes the further development of the cargo terminal, parking and its overall infrastructure.