Minsk National Airport (Belarusian: Нацыянальны аэрапорт Мінск, romanized: Natsyyanalny aeraport Minsk, [natsɨjaˈnalʲnɨ aeraˈport mʲinsk]; Russian: Национальный аэропорт Минск) (IATA: MSQ, ICAO: UMMS), formerly known as Minsk-2, is the main international airport in Belarus, located 42 km (26 mi) to the east of the capital Minsk. It geographically lies in the territory of Smalyavichy Raion but is administratively subordinated to the Kastrychnitski District of Minsk. The airport serves as hub of the Belarusian flag carrier Belavia and the cargo carriers TAE Avia,[2] Genex,[3] and Rubystar Airways.[4]

History

Early years

Construction of Minsk-2 airport began in 1977. In 1979, a new runway 3,640 m (11,942 ft 3 in) long and 60 m (196 ft 10 in) wide became operational. By 1981, the Minsk-2 aerodrome was able to handle aircraft and the airport opened in 1982. The first passenger flight was operated with a Tupolev Tu-134.[5]

On 1 July 1983, the Second Joint Aviation Division of Minsk was established in accordance with the decision of the Ministry of Civil Aviation of USSR. This date is considered as the airport foundation day.[6][7]

Development since the 1990s

Regular flights began in 1983; by 1990 passenger traffic reached 2.2 million passengers. From 1991, the number of flights began to decline due to the dissolution of the Soviet Union and other consequent changes. By 1997, the number of the passengers was 516,000, in 1998 – 480,000, in 2000 – only 400,000 passengers. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the first million passengers were handled by Minsk National Airport in 2008. Due to the substantial growth in passenger traffic, 2008 became a significant mark for the airport.[8] In May 2019, a second runway, 13L/31R was opened.[9]

In 2020, the growth was stalled by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Additionally from May 2021 all Belarusian airlines, mainly Belavia, have been banned from operating into the European Union as part of newly established sanctions after the Ryanair Flight 4978 incident.[10] Likewise, several European airlines cancelled their Minsk services over the conflict, e.g., Lufthansa.[11]

Interiors of Minsk National Airport. 1st floor. Baggage Dispensing Area. Baggage carousel.

On 9 August 2021, the US added the airport director Vyacheslav Khoroneko to the SDN list.[12]

Role in the 2021 border crisis

In 2021, the airport became a major hub for illegal migration to the European Union.[13][14][15] It was reported that several fly-by-night companies and two travel agencies got full access to the international zone of the airport and started to offer agent services for arrived migrants issuing visas on arrival. It was noted that these companies enjoyed the patronage of the airport staff and authorities, while other travel agencies were not allowed to provide similar services for real tourists.[16]

The situation also affected airlines serving Belarus. Due to ongoing crisis Cham Wings Airlines terminated their flights from Damascus on short notice, stating they cannot distinguish between regular travellers and illegal migrants.[17] In the same time, Turkish Airlines amongst others stopped selling tickets to Minsk to passengers with certain nationalities, e. g. from Yemen and Iraq after the European Union threatened sanctions against airlines which (unknowingly) participate in illegal migration.[18] Belavia has also ceased ticket sales to certain nationals for flights from Turkish airports to Belarus upon the Turkish government's decision to support the European Union regarding the recent events.[19] The same applies to all flights from Uzbekistan and Dubai, whose governments announced similar guidelines.[20][21]

Terminal

Boeing 737 boarding at MSQ

Minsk National Airport consists of one slightly-curved, four-story passenger terminal building originally built in the style of brutalist architecture, which has since been modernized and expanded. The ground floor features the arrivals area while the second floor consists of the check-in hall with 43 counters and 13 departure gates, some of which are equipped with jet bridges. The airside area features the usual duty free shops, an airport lounge, and other passenger amenities as well as a Burger King franchise. The first and third floors are mainly used for administration and maintenance.[22]

Airlines and destinations

Many airlines have suspended flights to Minsk due to the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war. The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights to and from Minsk:[23]

UTair Boeing 737-524 taxiing at Minsk National Airport
Etihad Airways Airbus A319-100 landing at Minsk National Airport
Belavia Boeing 737-8ZM
AirlinesDestinations
Aeroflot Cheboksary,[24] Moscow–Sheremetyevo,[25] Nizhny Novgorod[26]
Air China[27] Beijing–Capital, Xi'an[28]
Azimuth Mineralnye Vody[29]
Belavia[30][31] Almaty,[32] Astana, Baku, Batumi, Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi (begins 25 October 2026),[33] Delhi,[34] Dubai–International,[35] Istanbul,[36] Kazan, Kaliningrad, Kutaisi, Moscow–Domodedovo, Moscow–Sheremetyevo, Moscow–Vnukovo,[37] Saint Petersburg, Sochi, Tashkent, Tel Aviv,[38] Tbilisi, Türkmenbaşy,[39] Ufa,[40] Ürümqi,[41] Yekaterinburg, Yerevan
Seasonal: Makhachkala,[42] Murmansk[43]
Seasonal charter: Antalya,[44] Bodrum,[44] Da Nang,[45] Enfidha,[46] Hambantota–Mattala (resumes 27 October 2026),[47] El Alamein,[48] Hurghada,[49] İzmir,[44] Nha Trang,[50] Phu Quoc,[51] Sanya,[52] Sharm El Sheikh,[49] Pattaya,[44] Phuket (resumes 21 October 2026)[53]
Flydubai[54] Dubai–International[55]
Pobeda Moscow–Vnukovo,[56] Saint Petersburg[56]
Red Wings Airlines Arkhangelsk–Talagi, Chelyabinsk,[57] Moscow-Zhukovsky,[58] Samara,[59] Ufa, Ulyanovsk–Baratayevka[60]
Seasonal: Perm[61]
SCAT Airlines Almaty[62]
Severstal Avia Cherepovets, Kaluga[63]
Seasonal: Petrozavodsk[64]
Somon Air Dushanbe (begins 29 August 2026)[65] [66]
Turkish Airlines Istanbul (resumes 20 September 2026)[67]
Uzbekistan Airways Tashkent[68]
VietJet Air Seasonal charter: Da Nang[69]
As of February 2026.

Statistics

PassengersYear01,000,0002,000,0003,000,0004,000,0005,000,0006,000,00019601970198019902000201020202030PassengersAnnual passenger traffic
Traffic by calendar year, official ACI statistics[70]
PassengersChange from previous yearAircraft operationsChange from previous yearCargo
(metric tons)		Change from previous year
2005 559,114Increase10.86%5,456Increase 2.83%5,488Increase4.29%
2006 637,560Increase14.03%6,144Increase12.61%6,059Increase10.40%
2007 830,481Increase30.26%7,590Increase23.54%7,290Increase20.32%
2008 1,010,695Increase21.70%9,256Increase21.95%7,870Increase7.96%
2009 1,028,886Increase1.80%9,341Increase0.92%7,289Decrease7.38%
2010 1,285,423Increase24.93%11,020Increase17.97%8,553Increase17.34%
2011 1,437,825Increase11.86%13,686Increase24.19%8,667Increase1.33%
2012 1,837,911Increase27.83%14,947Increase9.27%9,833Increase13.45%
2013 2,182,177Increase18.73%16,586Increase11.00%10,477Increase6.55%
2014 2,593,559Increase18.90%20,036Increase20.90%19,905Increase89.99%
2015 2,782,866Increase7.30%20,365Increase1.64%16,509Decrease17.10%
2016 3,429,122Increase23.20%23,034Increase13.10%17,460Increase5.76%
2017 4,114,512Increase20.00%24,508Increase6.40%18,465Increase5.75%
2018 4,536,618Increase10.30%26 082Increase6.60%20,217Increase10.60%
2019 5,101,766Increase12.50%28,417Increase 8.90%N.D.N.D.
2020 1,939,192Decrease62.00%13,292Decrease 53.20%N.D.N.D.
2022 ~2,065,000[71]
2023 2,497,631[71]Rise 20%
Source: Airports Council International. World Airport Traffic Reports
(Years 2005,[72] 2006,[73] 2007,[74] 2009,[75] 2011,[76] 2012,[77] 2013,[78] and 2014[79]);
Official website[70][80] (Years 2015--2020).

Ground transportation

View of M2 highway near Minsk National Airport.
Minsk National Airport overpass

The airport is located 42 km (26 mi) east of Minsk, and is linked with the city with a toll-free (for non-BY registered cars) highway. Free short term parking is available in front of the terminal. Minsk National Airport is linked to the capital by the M2 motorway. Bus, train, taxi and parking services are provided.[81] The airport is served by buses 300Э and 173Э departing from Centralny bus station. From the airport to Minsk, shuttle bus 1400-TK and 1430-ТК operates.[82]

Railway

: Pesa 730M (DP3) at Minsk National Airport railway station

From November 7, 2014[83] to April 6, 2017, a railway connection operated. The railway platform was within walking distance of the terminal, but free shuttle buses transported passengers from the train to the terminal. On the route from Minsk to the airport, the train made one intermediate stop at the Smalyavichy station to change its direction.

In April 2017, due to the construction of the second runway, the existing stopping point Minsk National Airport was dismantled — as of April 7, diesel train service was suspended indefinitely. Initially, it was planned to shorten the route to the nearby Šemietava station and transfer passengers from the diesel train to buses there,[84] but eventually, the decision was made to cancel the train service altogether.[85]

Incidents and accidents

  • On 1 February 1985, Aeroflot Flight 7841, a Tupolev Tu-134AK operated by Aeroflot with registration number CCCP-65910 en route to Leningrad Pulkovo airport, crashed into the forest shortly after takeoff, killing 55 out of 73 passengers and three out of seven crew members on board.[86]
  • On 6 September 2003, an aircraft Tu-154 operated by an Iranian airline Kish Air hit trees in heavy fog as it was on approach en route from Tehran to Copenhagen. None of the 38 passengers and 4 crew members on board were injured.[87]
  • On 26 October 2009, a BAe 125 executive jet RA-02807 crashed on approach to Minsk National Airport. All three crew and both passengers died.[88]
  • On 23 May 2021, Ryanair Flight 4978, operated using a Boeing 737-8AS with 171 passengers on board, traveling in Belarusian airspace en route from Athens to Vilnius, was intercepted by a Belarusian MiG-29 just before it reached Lithuanian airspace. The MiG forced the plane to land at Minsk National Airport. Upon landing, the Belarusian KGB arrested two of the passengers, opposition activist Roman Protasevich and his girlfriend Sofia Sapega. The other passengers were allowed to reboard the plane to depart for Vilnius after seven hours.[89]

See also

References

  1. ↑ UMMS. "Minsk National Airport". airport.by. Archived from the original on 1 August 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  2. ↑ ch-aviation.com - TAE Avia retrieved 9 April 2022
  3. ↑ ch-aviation.com - Genex retrieved 9 April 2022
  4. ↑ ch-aviation.com - Rubystar Airways retrieved 9 April 2022
  5. ↑ "История аэропорта | Национальный аэропорт Минск". airport.by (in Russian). Archived from the original on 28 June 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  6. ↑ "Национальный аэропорт "Минск": 35 лет | Национальный аэропорт Минск". airport.by (in Russian). Archived from the original on 13 April 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  7. ↑ "Минск (Аэродром)". ekskursii.by. Archived from the original on 1 August 2018. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  8. ↑ "Airport History - Minsk National Airport". Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  9. ↑ "Состоялось официальное открытие новой взлетно-посадочной полосы в Национальном аэропорту Минск". Archived from the original on 22 January 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  10. ↑ "EU imposes new economic sanctions on Belarus over 'hijacked' flight". the Guardian. 25 May 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  11. ↑ hessenschau.de (German) 25 May 2021
  12. ↑ "Treasury Holds the Belarusian Regime to Account on Anniversary of Fraudulent Election". United States Department of the Treasury. 9 August 2021. Archived from the original on 9 August 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  13. ↑ "German minister faults airlines on Belarus migrant arrivals". AP News. 14 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  14. ↑ "Hundreds of migrants present at Minsk airport: report". polandin.com. 30 September 2021. Archived from the original on 4 November 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  15. ↑ "Migrants jam-pack Minsk Airport, head to border cities Hrodna and Brest, sleep on streets (pics, videos)". Belsat TV. 11 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  16. ↑ Марина Волкова (20 October 2021). "Прямо сейчас в аэропорту Минска на мигрантах нелегально наживается несколько турфирм. Мини-расследование KYKY (речь о миллионах!)". kyky.org (in Russian). Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  17. ↑ spiegel.de - Syrian airline ends flights to Minsk (German) 13 November 2021
  18. ↑ faz.net - "Turkish Airlines cooperates with the EU" (German) 12 November 2021
  19. ↑ haberturk.com - "Belavia, Türkiye’den Belarus’a Irak, Suriye ve Yemen vatandaşlarını taşımayacak" (Turkish) 14 November 2021
  20. ↑ belavia.by - Belavia news Archived 14 November 2021 at the Wayback Machine 14 November 2021
  21. ↑ belavia.by - Belavia news Archived 26 September 2023 at the Wayback Machine 18 November 2021
  22. ↑ airport.by - Airport Map retrieved 16 October 2021
  23. ↑ airport.by - Season Timetable Archived 12 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 16 October 2021
  24. ↑ "Aeroflot to launch subsidised Cheboksary-Minsk service". centreforaviation.com. News for Airlines, Airports and the Aviation Industry | CAPA. Informa Markets, a trading division of Informa PLC. 12 May 2026. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  25. ↑ Liu, Jim (20 March 2025). "Aeroflot NS25 Moscow – Minsk Service Increases". AeroRoutes. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
  26. ↑ Самодурова, Дарья (4 June 2026). "Из Нижнего Новгорода запустят рейсы в Минск". newsnn.ru. Сетевое издание «НьюсНН.ру». ООО «ПремьерМедиаИнвест». Retrieved 4 June 2026.
  27. ↑ airchina.com - Flight schedules retrieved 9 March 2022
  28. ↑ Liu, Jim (11 December 2024). "Air China Adds Xi'An – Minsk Service From late-Dec 2024". AeroRoutes. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  29. ↑ "Авиакомпания «Азимут» запустила рейсы из Минеральных Вод в Минск". 13 January 2024.
  30. ↑ en.belavia.by - Timetable retrieved 1 December 2021
  31. ↑ irishtimes.com - EU agrees sanctions on Belarus after forced landing of Ryanair flight 24 May 2021
  32. ↑ "Belavia to resume flights to Kazakhstan's Almaty". BelTA. 31 October 2025. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  33. ↑ "Belavia Launches Scheduled Flights to Bangkok". reform.news. REFORM.news (formerly REFORM.by). 18 June 2026. Retrieved 21 June 2026.
  34. ↑ "Belavia NS24 India Service Changes". AeroRoutes. 15 February 2024. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  35. ↑ "Belavia Resumes Dubai Service From Dec 2022". AeroRoutes. 28 October 2022.
  36. ↑ Liu, Jim (26 June 2025). "Belavia Launches A330 Service From mid-June 2025". AeroRoutes. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  37. ↑ "Belavia resumes Moscow Vnukovo service from mid-July 2022". AeroRoutes. 25 July 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  38. ↑ "Belavia Resumes Flights to Israel". REFORM.news (formerly REFORM.by). 15 April 2026. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  39. ↑ Liu, Jim (26 May 2025). "Belavia Turkmenistan Service Changes From late-May 2025". AeroRoutes. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  40. ↑ "Belavia Resumes Regular Flights Between Minsk and Ufa". REFORM.news (formerly REFORM.by). 25 May 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  41. ↑ "Belarus launches new direct flight to China's Urumqi". BelTA. 18 November 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
  42. ↑ "Национальный аэропорт Минск с 30 марта переходит на весенне-летнее расписание полетов". belta.by (in Russian). BelTA – News from Belarus. Belarusian Telegraph Agency. 28 March 2025. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  43. ↑ "We are resuming flights to Murmansk from May 28". en.belavia.by. BELAVIA - Belarusian Airlines. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
  44. 1 2 3 4 "Belavia announces spring-summer season routes". BelTA – News from Belarus, © Belarusian Telegraph Agency. 19 March 2026. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  45. ↑ "Belavia Launches First Regular Flight to Vietnam". REFORM.news (formerly REFORM.by). 20 March 2026. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  46. ↑ ""Белавиа" с 22 мая возобновляет чартерную программу в Тунис". BelTA – News from Belarus, © Belarusian Telegraph Agency. 17 November 2025. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  47. ↑ "Belavia returns flights to Sri Lanka from October 27". en.belavia.by. BELAVIA - Belarusian Airlines. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  48. ↑ Liu, Jim (5 June 2025). "Belavia Schedules Minsk – El Dabaa (El Alamein) Nonstop From late-May 2025". AeroRoutes. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
  49. 1 2 "Belavia NS24 Egypt / Qatar Charters". AeroRoutes. 26 March 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  50. ↑ "Belavia announced development plans for 2026: fleet expansion and new routes". www.sb.by (in Russian). SB news. Belarus Segodnya Publishing House. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
  51. ↑ Liu, Jim (18 August 2025). "Belavia Oct 2025 Minsk – Phu Quoc Charters". AeroRoutes. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  52. ↑ Liu, Jim (15 August 2025). "Belavia NW25 Minsk – Sanya Service Increase". AeroRoutes. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  53. ↑ "Belavia Resumes Regular Flights to Phuket". REFORM.news (formerly REFORM.by). 15 July 2026. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  54. ↑ flydubai.com - Route map retrieved 1 December 2021
  55. ↑ Новая чартерная программа из Минска в ОАЭ стартует 2 марта
  56. 1 2 "Pobeda Resumes Flights to Minsk". REFORM.news (formerly REFORM.by). 13 March 2026. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  57. ↑ Алла, Поплавская (3 March 2025). "Субсидированные перелеты из Челябинска в Минск возобновляются с 4 марта - Минская правда, 03.03.2025" (in Russian). Мiнская праўда. Информационное агентство «Минская правда». Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  58. ↑ "Russian Airline Red Wings To Launch Flights To Minsk From Moscow And Perm". REFORM.news (formerly REFORM.by). 11 March 2026. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
  59. ↑ "Red Wings Adds Samara – Minsk From Nov 2023". AeroRoutes. 27 October 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  60. ↑ "Полеты между Ульяновском и Минском возобновят 21 марта". Улпресса - все новости Ульяновска (in Russian). ИА «Улпресса». 8 February 2025. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
  61. ↑ "Red Wings to launch seasonal Perm-Minsk service from Apr-2026". centreforaviation.com. CAPA News Briefs. Informa Markets, a trading division of Informa PLC. 27 February 2026. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  62. ↑ Liu, Jim (11 July 2025). "Scat Airlines Adds Almaty – Minsk From August 2025". AeroRoutes. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  63. ↑ Регулярные рейсы из Калуги в Минск запустят с 12 апреля
  64. ↑ "Direct Flight To Link Minsk And Petrozavodsk In May 2026". REFORM.news (formerly REFORM.by). 24 October 2025. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
  65. ↑ "Somon Air may launch Dushanbe-Minsk flights". eng.belta.by. BelTA – News from Belarus, ©. Belarusian Telegraph Agency. 9 July 2026. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
  66. ↑ "Таджикская "Сомон Эйр" запускает прямые рейсы из Душанбе в Минск" (in Russian). Interfax. 7 August 2026. Retrieved 8 August 2026.
  67. ↑ "Turkish Airlines Plans to Resume Flights to Minsk – REFORM.news (formerly REFORM.by)". reform.news. Reform.news (formerly Reform.by). 28 July 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  68. ↑ "Uzbekistan Airways increases frequency of flights to Minsk". eng.belta.by. 18 March 2024. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  69. ↑ Choudhary, Kunal K (24 May 2026). "Da Nang Tourism Explodes as Vietjet Air Reopens Direct Moscow Route, Eradicating Multi-Hub Travel Chaos and Securing Central Vietnam as Russia's Premier Tropical Escape: Latest Airline News and Aviation Updates". nomadlawyer.org. Nomad Lawyer. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  70. 1 2 "Airport Performance". Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  71. 1 2 "Национальный аэропорт Минск подвел предварительные итоги за 2023 год". 4 January 2024.
  72. ↑ Airport Council International's 2005 World Airport Traffic Report
  73. ↑ Airport Council International's 2006 World Airport Traffic Report
  74. ↑ Airport Council International Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine's 2007 World Airport Traffic Report
  75. ↑ Airport Council International's 2009 World Airport Traffic Report
  76. ↑ Airport Council International's 2011 World Airport Traffic Report
  77. ↑ Airport Council International's 2012 World Airport Traffic Report
  78. ↑ Airport Council International's 2013 World Airport Traffic Report
  79. ↑ Airport Council International Archived 6 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine's 2014 World Airport Traffic Report
  80. ↑ "Национальный аэропорт Минск подвел итоги работы за 2020 год" [Minsk National Airport summed up the results of work for 2020] (in Russian). Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  81. ↑ "Transport - Minsk National Airport". Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  82. ↑ Общественный транспорт
  83. ↑ "BZD launched trains to the National Airport Minsk station". Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  84. ↑ Yevgeny Gromov. "BZD relocates transfer station at National Airport Minsk (updated)". railwayz.info. Archived from the original on 6 April 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  85. ↑ "Attention Passengers! - Belarusian Railway". Belarusian Railway. Archived from the original on 7 April 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  86. ↑ "ASN Aircraft accident Tupolev 134AK CCCP-65910 Nezhivka".
  87. ↑ "Kish Air aircraft strikes trees during landing".
  88. ↑ "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 27 October 2009.
  89. ↑ "EXPLAINER: What was behind a jet's diversion to Belarus?". AP News. 24 May 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2024.

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