The artificial runway at Gagarin international airport (managed by Airports of Regions MC) is certified by the Airport Operations Directorate at Federal Air Transport Agency as a second-category precision approach runway with both directions used for landing.
The availability of the second-category runway enables precision approach landing down to the decision-making height under 60 m, but not less than 30 m, and the visual range of 350 m or more.
The general contractor SIBMEKS-HOLDING, LLC installed lighting navigational aids and equipment necessary to ensure the second-category landing approach:
- runway centerpiece lights, extra approach and lead-in lights including pulsed lights, deepened lights of the landing area, stop bar lights of the taxiway;
- the equipment of two transformer stations was upgraded to ensure uninterrupted power supply, including the replacement of diesel generators;
- the distant control of lighting navigational aids was modernized;
- an airfield control position-radar station was installed to allow airfield observation for the traffic control staff in degraded visual environments.
Overall 583 deepened lights, 120 approach lights and 42 pulsed lights have been installed, with more than 54,000 metres of cable lines laid on the airfield.
All construction works were carried out at night in the absence of takeoff and landing operations.
