During a working trip to the Sumy region, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy got himself acquainted with the work of the regional utility company “Sumy Airport”.
Head of the Sumy regional state administration Roman Hryshchenko told the President about the implementation of the National Program "Great Construction" in the region.
In particular, 160 km of state roads are being renewed in the region in 2020. UAH 2 billion has been allocated for this. This is several times more than last year.
65 km of local roads are also being repaired, for which more than UAH 860 million is provided.
The construction of four outpatient clinics has been completed and the complete reconstruction of seven ER departments has begun.
In addition, five schools are being renovated in the region, and a completely new kindergarten, unique for the country, is being built. It will have three floors and a swimming pool.
"The main investor in the Sumy region is the state. Thanks to the "Great Construction" our economy is rising, the average wage has increased. That is why everyone in Sumy has a dream - to create a real hub on the basis of Sumy International Airport, which will give impetus to economic development," the RSA Head noted.
According to Roman Hryshchenko, the airport is currently in a poor condition, as it has never really been repaired. The main problem is the obsolescence of the runway. At the same time, the Head of the regional state administration clarified that in terms of parameters it is not inferior to the runways at Kharkiv airport or Zhuliany, and therefore is suitable for almost all planes. If the runway and the airport in general are repaired, Sumy can become a refueling point for long-haul aircraft flying from Asia to the West.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy assured that the state can allocate funds for the repair of the runway.
"Now we are selecting priority areas at all airports. We are ready to build this runway in Sumy, so that it is on the schedule of priority airports, if you have those who will build a terminal in parallel. This is very important," the President said.
The Head of the regional state administration stressed that he has already been considering the possibility of concession or financing from local budgets.
