History

15.08.1930. The official foundation of the airport. The first air-route Sverdlovsk-Chelyabinsk-Magnitogorsk started functioning. Its distance was 485 km, flight time 3.5 hrs. The airplane JUNKERS F-13 was piloted by KONONENKO Fyodor Nikolaevich.

20.11.1931. At Magnitogorsk airport a local branch of aviation trade union of Chelyabinsk airport was founded.

1932. The beginning of mail-carrying flights Magnitogorsk-Sverdlovsk-Magnitogorsk. A plane Po-2 hired by the metallurgical plant was based at the aerodrome.

1932. An airplane ANT-9 “Crocodile” first arrived at Magnitogorsk.

6.03.1933. The beginning of regular flights Sverdlovsk-Magnitogorsk by a four-seated mail-carrying-passenger airplane “Stal-2” from Sverdlovsk.

19.05.1934. The Board of People's Commissars of the USSR issued a decree about founding the Ural Territorial Administration of Civil Air Fleet.

March, 1935. An airplane TSR-5L (R-2) was bought in Moscow for the needs of the Magnitogorsk metallurgical plant. It was piloted to Magnitogorsk by I. D. Yephimov. He had been piloting the plane and servicing the administration of the plant for the first years.

1951. A plane “Li-2” started operating. It performed flights Sverdlovsk-Magnitogorsk twice a week. Later this flight had become regular and was extended to Moscow.

1952. The “Aeroflot” provided Magnitogorsk airport with the first airplane AN-2.

5.06.1955. The visit of the Prime-Minister of India D. Neru to Magnitogorsk. The renown visitors arrived at Magnitogorsk by 4 airplanes IL-14. Specially for this delegation in very short terms a new asphalt concrete road was built from the town to the airport.

1956. The Ural Division of the Civil Air Fleet had been looking for the best site to construct a new airport. Three sites were taken into consideration: near the state farms “Pervomaysky”, “Narovchatsky” and “Krasnaya Bashkiriya”. The site near the “Krasnaya Bashkiriya” state farm was chosen for constructing the airport.

4.12.1958. A decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR №8343-r was issued. According to this decree a research should be carried out and design estimates should be developed to construct a new Magnitogorsk airport and to provide regular flights of airplanes IL-18 and An-10 from there.

1959. A military surveying party carried out a survey and a site exploration of the area where the future Magnitogorsk airport would be constructed.

1963. A plane IL-14 first arrived at Magnitogorsk from Moscow. This plane performed flights to Moscow, Aktyubinsk and Mineralnye Vody.

15.11.1963. A decree of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR №4863-rs was signed. According to this decree a ground area of 431.7 hectares was given to the Head Administration of Civil Air Fleet under the Council of Ministers of the USSR to construct Magnitogorsk airport.

27.07.1964. GU GVF (Head Administration of Civil Air Fleet) was reorganized into the Ministry of Civil Aviation of the USSR.

1.08.1965. According to the decree of the head of the UGA (Ural Civil Aviation) №0350, d. d. 26.06.1965, the Chelyabinsk aviation flight, located at Magnitogorsk airport, was reorganized into a separate Magnitogorsk air squadron. Its first squadron-commander was Leonid Vassilievich Dema, the first director of Magnitogorsk airport was Alexander Vassilievich Kuznetsov, the first deputy leaders piloting An-2 were Anatoly Alexandrovich Kuvarzin and Zinatulla Fattahovich Husnutdinov.

17.12.1966. The separate Magnitogorsk air squadron was transferred to a new airdrome near the state farm “Krasnaya Bashkiriya”.

20.12.1966. A decree of Civil Aviation Minister №793 “On establishing regular flights by Il-18 planes to the Magnitogorsk aerodrome” was issued.

25.12.1966. The first landing of the Il-18 plane from Moscow at the new airport.

1968. An aviation logistic support centre of the airport was constructed and started functioning.

2.09.1968. A decree of the head of the UGA (Ural Civil Aviation) “On organization of a united Magnitogorsk squadron (4^th class) of the UGA (Ural Civil Aviation)” was issued.

20.01.1969. According to the decree of the head of the UGA (Ural Civil Aviation), d. d. 02.09.1969, and the order of the head of the UGA (Ural Civil Aviation), d. d. 19.12.1968, were organized:

An air flight №299 consisting of two air squadrons of An-2;
A united Magnitogorsk squadron, including Magnitogorsk airport and the air flight №299.

January, 1970. An airport terminal building was opened at the new airport.

1970. The first flights of An-24 planes. Their first pilots –were Kuvarzin Anatoly Alexandrovich, Husnutdinov Z. F., Pahmutov V. V., Tkachenko V. I., Sekachev V. V., Preishegolovich J. P., Savin V. F.

24.03.1972. The organization of the flight attendant service in Magnitogorsk. The first flight attendant servicing an An-24 was V. G. Lugakova, then V. Kochkina, N. Urban and V. Schegolevatyh.

December, 1972. The airport became a base for An-24.

21.10.1975. A decree of the head of the UGA (Ural Civil Aviation) “On organization of an air squadron of An-24 in the 299^th Magnitogorsk air flight” was signed.

1975. An air traffic control tower was built over the air traffic control building.

December, 1975. The first flights of An-26 planes.

December, 1977. A new air division building was constructed and started functioning. Pilots got at their disposal state-of-the-art airplanes An-24, An-26, An-2, a flying test class with all necessary equipment. The Magnitogorsk air squadron was considered to be one of the best-equipped squadrons in the Ural Administration of Civil Aviation.

1981. The second storey of the airport headquarters was constructed.

27.12.1987. Because of its reorganization, the 299th air flight was renamed into the 7th air flight.

June, 1992. The first flights of Yak-42 planes. The organization of an air squadron of Yak-42, the squadron-commander was S. B. Kurbatov.

23.11.1992. A decree “On the Ural Regional Administration of Air Transport of the Air Transport Department of Russia” was granted.

22.02.1993. The head of the Ural Regional Administration of Air Transport DVT of Russia signed a decree concerning the structure of state airlines and airports in the Ural region. In this decree the Magnitogorsk united air flight was granted as a Magnitogorsk air enterprise. Its first director was A. Y. Levkovsky.

12.06.1994. The Magnitogorsk air enterprise got a certificate of a civil aviation operator with the right of operating international flights.

25.06.1994. International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) registered the Magnitogorsk air enterprise in the ICAO system and gave it out an international code (MNG), its call sign “MAGNITKA”.

5.07.1994. The first international flight of the Magnitogorsk air enterprise with the new international code was performed, its route Magnitogorsk-Sochi- Istanbul-Sochi-Magnitogorsk. It was performed by the crew of the plane An-24, an aircraft commander K. A. Repjev, a supervisory pilot – the director of the Magnitogorsk air enterprise V. I. Martynjuk.

April, 1995. According to the final report of the Ural Regional Administration of Air Transport DVT of Russia concerning the condition of the artificial runway, the scientific research institute of civil aviation “Aeroproject” came to the conclusion that the artificial runway could not be exploited any more. The administration of the Magnitogorsk air enterprise raised a question of the reconstruction of the runway and lighting systems at the meeting with the administration of the Magnitogorsk Iron&Steel Plant.

29.11.1995. The Governor of the Chelyabinsk region signed a decree “On financing major repairs of the infrastructure of Magnitogorsk airport”. The administration of Magnitogorsk invited a tender for a contract to reconstruct the artificial runway. The tender was won by the Yugoslavian company «UNION ENGINEERING».

1.01.1996. ATC (Air Traffic Control) and BERTOS (Radio and Lighting Equipment Maintenance Base) were singled out of the Magnitogorsk air enterprise and reorganized into “Magnitogorskairnavigation” and State Unitary Enterprise “Uralairnavigation”.

5.05.1996. The beginning of reconstruction of the artificial runway (ground work).

5.08.0996. The first cubic metre of concrete was settled on the new artificial runway.

August, 1996. The company “Wanter” worked out the project of reconstruction of the aerodrome lighting. Under the agreement with the “Wanter” company the lighting was installed by the “Aerocom” company.

5.11.1996. The last cubic metre of concrete was settled on the new artificial runway (3250 long).

21.11.1996. The formal opening of the reconstructed runway (2100 metre long). The first take off was performed by the plane AN-24 of the Magnitogorsk air enterprise, an aircraft commander V. S. Belyavsky, a supervisory pilot B. L. Ilyichev, the flight work deputy commander of the flight squadron.

21.12.1996. A regular passenger technical flight (landing) was performed on the new runway (2100 metre long). The route of the plane Yak-42 (“Bykovo-Avia” airline) was Moscow-Magnitogorsk, an aircraft commander was a deputy commander of the airline flight squadron J. I. Amyalchenko, a supervisory pilot B. L. Ilyichev, the flight work deputy commander of the flight squadron. The flight was accepted by the Committee of the Ural Regional Administration of Federal Aviation Service of Russia, represented by its chairman A. M. Primalenny, the flight work deputy director of the Ural Regional Administration of Federal Aviation Service of Russia.

25.12.1996. A decree of the director of the Ural Regional Administration of Federal Aviation Service of Russia “On allowing the Magnitogorsk aerodrome to receive Yak-42 planes and lower classes planes” was signed.

5.11.1997. The «UNION ENGINEERING» finished the reconstruction of the artificial runway by constructing a new paved apron to receive aircrafts like Tu-154 and Il-76.

23.01.1998. A new edition of “Operation instruction in Magnitogorsk aerodrome area” was confirmed.

12.02.1998. A technical flight (landing) was performed on the reconstructed runway (3250 metre long). The route of the plane Tu-154 (JSC “Chelyabinsk air enterprise” airline) was Chelyabinsk-Magnitogorsk, an aircraft commander, the commander of the airline Tu-154 flight squadron was V. E. Sukhonosov. The flight was accepted by the Committee of the Ural Regional Administration of Federal Aviation Service of Russia, represented by its chairman A. M. Primalenny, the flight work deputy director of the Ural Regional Administration of Federal Aviation Service of Russia.

28.05.1998. The certificate of civil aviation operator of the Magnitogorsk air enterprise was temporarily suspended.

4.06.1998. The Ural Regional Administration of Federal Aviation Service of Russia was reorganized into the Ural Interregional Territorial Administration of Federal Aviation Service of Russia.

August, 1998. The «UNION ENGINEERING» (executive manager Markovich) started reconstruction works of the airport terminal building with the help of a low level contractor “Magnitostroy Trust”. The operation schedule was not sustained, so in May, 1999 a new contract with an Austrian company “Mabim” (President Dautzenberg, Vice-President Mitterhammer) was concluded.

October, 1998. The reconstruction of the lighting equipment was completed. The Ural Regional Administration of Federal Aviation Service of Russia issued a lighting certification.

February, 1999. The Austrian company “Mabim” started reconstruction works of the airport terminal building.

June, 1999. JSC “MMK” concluded a contract with a company “Excort Centre” (President Ivanov, Vice President Shorokhov) which was to install technological equipment in the new international air terminal building.

01.09.1999. A decree of Federal Agency of Air Transport “On allowing the Magnitogorsk aerodrome to receive and maintain planes Tu-154” was signed.

8.09.1999. A technical flight Ekaterinburg-Magnitogorsk of the plane Il-86TD (“Aviaprad” airline) was performed, an aircraft commander A. V. Stenin. The flight was accepted by the Committee of the Ural Regional Administration of Federal Aviation Service of Russia, represented by its chairman A. M. Primalenny, the flight work deputy director of the Ural Regional Administration of Federal Aviation Service of Russia.

17.09.1999. The formal opening of the reconstructed air terminal building.

20-23.09.1999. The Commission of the Transnational Aviation Committee had been assessing the compliance of the Magnitogorsk aerodrome with the standards and aviation rules. Its aim was to issue the MAK Certificate to approve international flights.

22.09.1999. A decree of the Government of Russia establishing a frontier checkpoint of the Russian Federation at Magnitogorsk Airport №1492-p was signed.

11.10.1999. A Certificate of Compliance of a high-intensity lighting system with МК_пос=185° (magnetic landing direction) on the Magnitogorsk aerodrome was confirmed and signed.

15.10.1999. The Head of the Federal Aviation Service of Russia approved the company rules of the federal state unitary enterprise “Magnitogorsk air enterprise”.

19-22.10.1999. The Inter-departmental Commission had been working at Magnitogorsk airport to confirm a frontier checkpoint of the Russian Federation at Magnitogorsk Airport with the airport passenger handing capacity100 passengers per hour by the reversionary service system

round-the-clock.

28.10.1999. A decree of Federal Agency of Air Transport №97 “On allowing the Magnitogorsk aerodrome to receive and maintain planes Il-76(TD)” was signed.

November, 1999. The reconstruction of meteorological equipment at the airport was performed. A Certificate of Compliance of the meteorological information and measuring system of the Integral radiotechnical airfield meteorological station KРАМС-4 was granted.

3.11.1999. The Magnitogorsk air enterprise was renamed into the federal state unitary enterprise “Magnitogorsk air enterprise” according to the new edition of the company rules.

6.11.1999. The first official visit of the Chairman of the Government of Russia V. Putin to Magnitogorsk. He arrived by the plane Tu-154.

30.11.1999. A decree of the Government of Russia №1319 “On approving the Statute of the Federal Service of Air Transport of the Russian Federation” was signed.

23.12.1999. The Airport Certification and Equipment Commission of the Transnational Aviation Committee gave out a Certificate of Compliance to the low-intensity lighting system to be used at the Magnitogorsk airport.

24.12.1999. The Airport Certification and Equipment Commission of the Transnational Aviation Committee gave out a Certificate № 090 A-M, allowing Magnitogorsk airport to perform international flights.