After another comprehensive election victory in 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin immediately launched a comprehensive modernization plan to improve his country’s regional connectivity.

The 6.3 trillion rouble ($96 billion), six-year infrastructure overhaul is set to provide a much needed revamp to the country’s highways, airports, railways, ports and other transport infrastructure.

Leading this herculean task, connecting a vast mass of land encompassing eleven time zones and two continents, is Novaport, one of Russia’s largest and fastest-developing regional airport operators. Now with 16 sites, from Murmansk in the north to Vladikavkaz in the south, to its name and plans to expand into Uzbekistan, Novaport has heavily invested in the acquisition of airports and successfully implemented comprehensive development programmes.

Novaport’s impact has been felt across the length and breadth of the country with construction of a new passenger terminal now underway at the Baikal International Airport in the mountainous eastern Republic of Buryatia. The increased accessibility for this once remote Siberian location will not only tap further into existing travel links with Mongolia but will help open the door to new, lucrative markets in the Asian-Pacific region.

The magnificent beauty of Lake Baikal is fast becoming a hotspot for tourists jetting in from Beijing, Seoul and Ulaanbaatar.

Behind the scenes, Novaport is co-owned by Meridian Capital Limited, an international investment firm headquartered in Hong Kong with a diversified investment portfolio spanning consumer goods, real estate, hospitality, infrastructure and natural resources. 

Last year, with the backing of Meridian Capital, Novaport serviced more than 21.6 million passengers with destinations covering 183 cities in 25 countries. Commenting on this success, Yevgeniy Feld, founding principal of Meridian Capital Limited, said “Novaport is an exciting long-term infrastructure investment opportunity for Meridian Capital. 

Alongside our partner and co-owner AEON Corporation, we have been able to contribute to Russia’s ambitious regional connectivity plan and cater to the country’s boom in air passenger numbers.

Our partner’s exceptional experience and our commitment to improving standards and efficiency at our fast-developing network of regional airports are key drivers of Novaport’s impressive expansion”.

Novaport’s current network, stretching from Murmansk in the far north to Chita in southeast Siberia, is set to continue growing and will provide new and improved airport facilities to keep up with Russia’s booming air passenger numbers.  With Putin’s ambitious infrastructure project set to stretch to 2024, there is still much work to be done.