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The airport area came under attack from Russian missiles, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which started in February 2022. The airport was not impacted, but an airport repair building was hit by the missiles. The attack was reported in March, but did not result in any casualties, as flight operations were already suspended.
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The Ukrainian airport’s development history
Ukraine has 24 international airports within its total civilian airport network of 30. Lviv airport was built between 1923-1928, when the city was being developed as an aviation hub. The airport introduced new aircraft for logistics during 1946-1959.
The airport building was constructed in 1950, and from 1996, the airport became the major air cargo hub of western Ukraine. Lviv airport’s ownership was transferred to the state in 2007, and is now being operated under the Ukrainian Ministry of Transport.
In 2011, Lviv airport served 296,900 passengers, a 38% decline from 2010.
In 2012, Ukraine and Poland jointly hosted the UEFA European Football Championship tournament. Lviv was one of four Ukrainian cities to host the championship. In preparation for the tournament, the Government of Ukraine (GOU) modernised the infrastructure at key airports in the country, including the expansion of the Lviv airport.
Existing facilities at Lviv airport
The airport’s 1,778m² terminal building serves 300 passengers an hour. It includes three passenger sectors and one VIP hall.
The apron has an area of 43,000m², situated 300m away from the building, with 16 parking places that can handle 1,920 passengers an hour.
Airport facilities include luggage storage, telephones, ATM machines, and a currency exchange, as well as coffee shops, and the nearby Tustan Hotel. However, the airport’s infrastructure was insufficient to accommodate international flights, and the 2,540m runway limited the size of aircraft.
Expansion project at Lviv International Airport
Lviv airport’s new terminal building covers an area of 34,000m², with the capacity to handle 1,000 passengers an hour. The terminal construction took approximately two years to complete, and was completed in March 2012. The new terminal has 29 check-in desks, nine of which are meant for domestic travel, and the remaining are for international flights. It also has 18 passport control counters, and nine aviation safety checkpoints.
Modernisation of the existing air terminal and passenger terminal was also part of the project, and increased the terminal’s total passenger handling capacity to approximately 1,220 passengers an hour (5.69 million passengers annually).
The reconstruction of Lviv airport included improvements to the air bridges, navigation, and lighting improvements, and ground-handling equipment. Construction of 200 car parking places and open parking spaces for 1,000 automobiles, plus a hotel complex to serve 1,200 people, was also part of the project.
The apron modernisation project included the construction of more aircraft stands, and accommodation was increased to cover 47ha.
Runway details at Lviv airport
The original length of the runway was more than 2,500m, with a handling capacity of 30 medium-class aircraft operations every hour, equivalent to 600 passengers an hour. An artificial runway with a hybrid chemise provides 24-hour service. It receives aircraft with the maximum allowable take-off weight of 350 tonnes.
After an extension of 765m, the runway length increased to 3,305m, allowing transatlantic flights. The extension of the runway also included its surface regulation and reconstruction, including taxiways. The runway extension was completed in 2012.
Contractors involved with the western Ukraine airport
The master plan for the reconstruction project was prepared by Honeywell Airport Systems. In December 2008, the Ukrainian Minister of Transport awarded the contract for the overall design of Lviv airport’s new terminal building to the NACO/Tebodin consortium.
The runway and apron were designed by the Ukrainian State Designing Technological and Scientific Research Institute of Civil Aviation.
Ukrstal Construction, a Ukraine-based fabrication and assembly services provider, was selected to supply large-span frame systems, with perforated façade columns, for the airport.
MAR Development Corp, a US-based infrastructure development firm, through its subsidiary Eyles AMG, had offered several design changes to improve the operational efficiency and economic viability of the new terminal. It also worked with local general contractors and the Ukraine National Agency to offer construction management services, and promote safety, while offering quality assurance.
Reynaers Aluminium, a Russian aluminium solutions provider, supplied curtain walls for the new terminal.
Makko, a construction and engineering firm in Ukraine, secured an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract to extend the runway at the airport.
Construction of the runway was carried out by general contractor Azovintex LLC Enterprise. British company Halcrow Group provided advisory services for the runway construction.
