Departure
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MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Novosibirsk Tolmachevo Airport is the principal international gateway to Siberia, lying in the town of Ob some 16 kilometres west of central Novosibirsk. It is a major hub for S7 Airlines and hosts two long, ILS-equipped hard-surface runways capable of handling wide-body traffic, making it an interesting and demanding destination for the simulator pilot flying long-haul or cargo operations in the region.
Tolmachevo is an international airport serving Novosibirsk, Russia's third-largest city, and is situated in the town of Ob rather than the city itself, about 16 kilometres from the centre of Novosibirsk. It is operated by Novaport and serves as the primary hub for S7 Airlines, while also functioning as a busy regional transit point and refuelling stop for cargo flights on East Asia to Europe routings. For a simulator pilot the field offers two very long, well-equipped hard-surface runways and a full range of ATC services, making it a substantial and characterful Siberian destination.
The airport lies in the town of Ob, west of Novosibirsk, and operates as a controlled aerodrome with its own approach, tower, ground and radar services. It sits on an important east-west air route between major East Asian cities such as Seoul, Shanghai and Hong Kong and destinations in Europe, and also serves as a diversion airport on Polar Route 1, which underlines its significance within Siberian and transpolar airspace structures.
Tolmachevo has two physical runways, both hard-surfaced and lit. Runway 16/34 is 12,074 feet long and equipped with ILS; runway 07/25 is approximately 11,762 to 11,763 feet long and likewise equipped with ILS. Both runways are substantial enough to accommodate the full range of wide-body commercial and cargo aircraft.
Radio services at Tolmachevo include Novosibirsk Approach on 127.5 MHz, Novosibirsk ATIS on 127.4 MHz, Novosibirsk Taxiing (ground) on 121.7 MHz, Novosibirsk Volmet on 128.3 MHz, Novosibirsk Krug (radar) on 122 MHz, and Novosibirsk Start (tower) on 118.5 MHz. The field is equipped with ILS, including a CAT II installation on one runway historically associated with runway 16, permitting operations in low ceiling and visibility conditions.
Tolmachevo began operations on 12 July 1957, with the first passenger flight being a Tupolev Tu-104 service from Novosibirsk to Moscow. The airport was owned by the United Tolmachevo Aviation Enterprise and the Ministry of Civil Aviation of the USSR until 1992, becoming a joint stock company in 1995 with 51 percent state ownership. It was the first Russian airport to receive an ISO 9002-96 certificate. The domestic terminal was fully renovated in 2006, and during 2014 to 2015 the former international terminal was enlarged and merged with the domestic terminal, doubling passenger capacity. The airport passed several passenger milestones in the following years, including its three-millionth annual passenger in November 2012, four-millionth in December 2016, five-millionth on 31 December 2017 and 6.5-millionth in December 2019. Construction of a substantial new terminal began in September 2020, with the main 56,000 square metre building completed in the third quarter of 2022 and further phases planned by 2025. The airport has also long served a military role, being home to the 337th Independent Helicopter Regiment, flying Mil Mi-24P and Mi-8AMTSh-V helicopters, and to a Composite Aviation Squadron of the 32nd Independent Composite Transport Aviation Regiment, both under the 14th Air and Air Defence Forces Army. Notable incidents include a wheels-up landing by a Tyrol Air Ambulance Cessna Citation V in January 2009, and a serious accident in November 2020 when a Volga-Dnepr Antonov An-124 suffered an uncontained engine failure on departure, was further damaged in an overrun and nosewheel collapse on its return landing, though all fourteen occupants survived.
Tolmachevo remains the busiest airport in Siberia and the sixth busiest in Russia, and functions as the principal hub for S7 Airlines alongside services from Aeroflot, Rossiya, Pobeda, NordStar, Flydubai, Azerbaijan Airlines and a range of Central Asian and other international carriers. The airport continues to expand its terminal infrastructure, with a major new terminal building completed in 2022 and further development phases planned through 2025. It also retains an active military presence, hosting a helicopter regiment and a composite transport aviation squadron alongside its civil operations.