Routes has announced Donetsk Sergey Prokofiev International Airport has officially been appointed as the Host for the 3rd Routes CIS event, to take place on July 21st-23rd.

Routes CIS is the only route development forum for the entire CIS region and the 2013 event is expected to attract around 250 delegates.

The event will offer the region’s airlines and airports, as well as those from outside the region with an interest in increasing air connections to the CIS countries, the perfect platform to do business and improve air transport networks.

“We are delighted to announce Donetsk International Airport as the Host of Routes CIS 2013,” said Katie Bland, future hosts director for Routes.

“The Event will offer the Routes community the opportunity to see the first-class airport facilities at the newly built airport, as well as experience the cosmopolitan city of Donetsk and the thriving and diverse region of Donbass.

“We look forward to working with the dynamic team at Donetsk Airport to deliver a great event.”

With a population of over one million inhabitants, Donetsk is one of the largest cities in the Ukraine and is the administrative centre for the region which has a population of over four million people which makes up ten per cent of the overall population of the country.

The Donetsk region is also the country’s largest industrial centre incorporating metal, coal and chemical industries as well as heavy machinery.

Donetsk was also one of the host cities for the European Football Championship 2012 and in accordance with the plan for Euro 2012 a new airport terminal and runway was constructed in 2011.

This new runway is able to land all kinds of aircraft without exception and the terminal has a capacity of 3,100 passengers per hour.

The airport is now able to serve up to five million passengers per year, making it the second busiest airport in the Ukraine.

Located seven kilometres away from the city centre, Donetsk Airport has a catchment area of 6.5 million potential passengers and flies to 29 international and domestic destinations

Kirill Osypov, chief executive of S.S. Prokofiev International Airport Donetsk emphasises that his team is ready to do their best to organise the event to the highest level: “We appreciate that the organisers of Routes CIS have expressed confidence in our team and to become the Host of such a high level aviation event is a big honour for us.

“Widening the reach of our air transportation is one of the main priorities not only for our airport development strategy, but also for regional and government politics for the modernization of the aviation industry.

“Thus, on behalf of International Airport Donetsk I guarantee that forum participants will have the most comfortable conditions for productive professional discussions besides which, we will prepare an amazing sightseeing tour for the Routes CIS 2013 guests, that allows them in a short time to see all of the tourist attractions in the Donbass region”