Strategic facility

Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is an exclave of Azerbaijan which means that it does not have a common border with main part of the republic. Territory of the autonomy borders with Iran, Armenia and Turkey. Complicated geography and political situation in the region makes aviation the only one possible means of transport for travelling from Nakhchivan autonomy to the capital of Azerbaijan.

The airport is vitally important for residents of Nakhchivan and this importance determined main requirement for implementation of the project: reconstruction has to be carried out in functioning airport and the flights should not be suspended or reduced in number.

Second-largest after Baku

Nakhchivan Airport is second-largest airport of Azerbaijan. It has two terminals and passenger traffic of more than 1 mln passengers per year. Before reconstruction handling capacity of two airport terminals was about 200 passengers per hour. Due to huge domestic passenger traffic and increasing number of flights to Istanbul, Moscow and Kiev the decision was made to carry out reconstruction of the terminal.

«Integral Systems company has installed more than 50 monitors of information display system IS-FIDS»

The airport management contacted our company on the issue of procurement of passenger information display system. Eventually, after intense competitive struggle with Turkish colleagues Integral Systems won the tender for procurement of equipment of visual and vocal information system IS-AVIS.

Difficulties during implementation of the project

Nakhchivan Airport is the only one connecting artery of the autonomy with the outer world what imposed significant restrictions upon the works. Reconstruction was carried out in the operating airport and the main requirement of the customer was: not a single flight could be delayed or cancelled. Tough conditions resulted in dividing reconstruction into several stages what demanded flexibility in project management, fast speed of work and mobilization of specialists. There were other difficulties in the process of project implementation which nobody could possibly envisage.

Equipment procurement within the first stage of reconstruction was carried out in summer of 2015. Transportation of equipment via Armenia was impossible due to absence of transport connection between these two countries. Transit through Iran also was not considered as the best solution because of the EU sanctions imposed on Iran. Therefore decision was made to deliver equipment to Nakhchivan via Turkey.
Unexpected problems arose during transportation of equipment through the eastern regions of Turkey. Due to complicated political situation amidst ongoing conflict in Syria fights between Kurdish population and representatives of Turkish authorities started there. Frequent cases of attacks on trucks going through territory of eastern Turkey made the delivery practically impossible.

Professional actions of our specialists helped to organize military convoy for going through this unsafe region and to deliver the equipment successfully and timely.

Outcome of the project

Within the project implementation process specialists of Integral Systems company designed efficient placement of means providing visual information for passengers in accordance with IATA Airport Development Reference Manual 10th and with taking into account results of model analysis of passenger traffic.
Integral Systems installed more than 50 displays of visual information system IS-FIDS at the counters in waiting lounges, boarding gates and assembly points.
As a result of the reconstruction handling capacity of the terminal increased 2.5 times from 200 to 450 passengers per hour what opens new perspectives of growth for Nakhchivan Airport.