Vnukovo International Airport (Международный аэропорт Внуково) , is an international airport located 28 km (18 mi) southwest from the center of Moscow, Russia. It is one of three major airports serving Moscow (along with Domodedovo International Airport and Sheremetyevo International Airport). In 2007, the airport handled 6.78 million passengers, representing a 33% increase over 2006.
Vnukovo is the oldest of the operating airports in Moscow. The construction was approved by the Soviet government in 1937, since the older Khodynka Airport (located much closer to the city centre and closed by 1980s) was overloaded. Vnukovo was opened on July 1, 1941. During the Great Patriotic War it served as a military airbase, and then the passenger service started.
The airfield has two intersecting runways of 3000 m and 3060 m in length. Each runway is 60 meters wide with 10-meter wide safety shoulders on each side. The runway's joint capacity is 60 aircraft movements per hour. The airport has two passenger terminals (International terminal B and domestic terminal 2), one general aviation terminal (for charter business flights), one cargo terminal and 60 aircraft stands. The airport can handle a maximum number of 3,000 passengers per hour. 4,000 people are employed at the airport. The Tupolev rework facility is also located at Vnukovo.
A VIP hall was equipped at Vnukovo Airport, and it is used by many political leaders and important people visiting Russia. The Russian President also uses the VIP facility at Vnukovo Airport.
