Boryspil Airport's Terminal D to be launched in Q1, 2012, says general contractor

Kyiv, February 10 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Dogus/Alarko/YDA JV (Turkey), which is the general contractor of the construction of Terminal D at state-owned Boryspil International Airport, forecasts that the terminal will be put into operation in the first quarter of 2012.

"According to the schedule, we're to complete construction work in the last quarter of 2011. The tentative period for putting [the facility] into operation is the first quarter of 2012," President of Dogus/Alarko/YDA Burak Talu said at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Thursday.

He said that under the contract, the cost of the work is about $450 million with VAT. However, the agreement foresees possible changes in the price to take into account inflation, forex fluctuations and amendments to the project.

"The project has seen minor improvements," he said. "But I don't think they will considerably influence the costs"

However, he did not specify how the final cost might change.

He also said that the construction work had been delayed in starting because of a difference in Ukrainian and international legislation, and it is 35% complete as of today.

"We've ordered a large number of pieces of equipment, some of which is being built in Europe and some of which is being delivered. If we put all these factors together, we can say that the work at the facility is 60% finished," he said.

Talu added that the project does not include the construction of a railway station to service a rail link between the city of Kyiv and Boryspil Airport.

According to him, such companies as Construction Department No. 813 (SU813), Ukrstal, Road Construction Department No. 50 (DSU-50), Honeywell, and Schindler are engaged in the construction as subcontractors.

The customers of the project have financed about 30% of the project's costs as of today, he said. "We're paid on the basis of a monthly report on performed work, there are no significant delays in payment," he added.

Terminal D will include an airport building with an area of 10,000 square meters and 11 boarding gates, a 200,000-square-meter apron, a 1.4-kilometer-long viaduct, a 4-kilometer-long approach road, and a filling system.

As was reported, Boryspil Airport and Joint Venture Dogus/Alarko/YDA in September 2008 signed a contract for the construction of Terminal D at the airport. The construction is partly financed at the expense of a loan worth about $180 million provided by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).

Boryspil airport occupies about 1,000 hectares. It has two runways: one 4,000 meters long and 60 meters wide, and another 3,500 meters long and 63 meters wide. The airport also houses four passenger terminals and a mail and cargo complex.