Sheremetyevo Airport in Russia has welcomed the start of the FIFA World Cup 2018.
The welcome ceremony was held in the new Terminal B, which was built for the tournament. The new features at Sheremetyevo offer travelers to Russia a first impression of the country.
Arriving passengers into Sheremetyevo’s new Terminal B are greeted with scenes of interesting and picturesque destinations within Russia SVO supports connecting flights to.
The baggage claim area of the same terminal features pictures of traditional dress from around the country.
“Our country will receive athletes and fans from the entire world, and many of these will be coming to our country for the first time, beginning their acquaintance with Russia right here, at Sheremetyevo,” said Sheremetyevo’s chairman of the board, Alexander Ponomarenko.
In addition to the new terminal B, designed in the style of Russian constructivism, tunnels constructed under working runways provide a system of passenger transportation designed to handle at least 11.5 million passengers and 5.9 million piece of baggage per year.
The new underground, automated cable cars transport passengers between terminal complexes within 4 minutes, vastly reducing transfer time.
“We’ve carried out large-scale transformations specifically for the World Cup,” said Ponomarenko. “We understand the importance of greeting guests and participants at the championship at a high level.”
The renovations at Sheremetyevo allow for expanded capacity. Terminal B alone can handle 20 million passengers—out of a total of 46 million—projected for the entire airport in 2018. By 2026, Sheremetyevo is set to accommodate 80 million people through the construction of the new terminal C. The planned development can be financed from Sheremetyevo’s own funds.
FIFA legend and German World Cup Champion Lothar Matthäus commented, “The new modern Terminal B, built for the FIFA World Cup 2018, the hospitality and openness of the airport staff, and the enthusiasm of the volunteers inspire confidence that football players and fans will be served at Sheremetyevo Airport at a high level.”
