The one millionth passenger of the year 2014 has been checked in at Nizhny Novgorod International Airport (belongs to Airports of Regions Group) earlier today. It is a momentous event not only for Nizhny Novgorod Airport which passed to the higher size category in terms of passenger traffic, but for the entire region's transport infrastructure.
The one millionth passenger of Strigino Airport turned to be 30-year-old Nizhny Novgorod citizen Andrew Kurnyshev, departing on Aeroflot flight SU1221 to Moscow. He received a certificate for annual business lounge servicing from Strigino Airport management and two open-date business class tickets on route Nizhny Novgorod - Moscow - Nizhny Novgorod from Aeroflot.
“For the first time in the last twenty years Nizhny Novgorod Airport managed to pass a milestone of 1000 000 passengers,” said at the official ceremony Strigino Airport’s Executive Director Alexander Sinelnikov. “With the arrival of Airports of Regions Management Company at the airport and the expansion of the route network, air traffic began to grow rapidly. Since 2010 passenger flow has tripled from 376 thousand to 917 thousand people in 2013 – it is a unique rate for Russia! And today, on November 6, 2014, Strigino has again become a million airport. We congratulate everybody and promise to make every effort to further develop the airport.”
“Air route Moscow - Nizhny Novgorod is one of the most significant for civil aviation in Russia,” said JSC Aeroflot’s regional representative in Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod and Nizhnekamsk Alexander Tikhonov. ”It was to Nizhny Novgorod on July 15, 1923 that the first scheduled flight in the country was made, and in 2013 our company transported a record number of passengers for a route - more than 228 thousand (the occupancy of seats was over 70%). And we are very pleased that today one millionth passenger of Nizhny Novgorod Airport was checked in for our flight.”
The one millionth passenger of Strigino is a frequent flyer, he travels several times a month both on scheduled flights to other cities in Russia – on business (Andrew is engaged in construction and oil) and on charter flights abroad – on holidays. Andrew Kurnyshev was not aware of that day’s event at Nizhny Novgorod Airport: having arrived for check in as usually in advance he was genuinely surprised by the message: "You have become one millionth passenger, please accept our congratulations!"
“Basically, I consider myself to be a lucky man,” admitted Andrew. “But I have never won in a lottery, though I bought tickets many times. So it appeared to be a very pleasant surprise to me. Thank you!”
