On the eve of the Defender of the Fatherland Day, a ceremony of laying flowers at the monument to the pilot heroes of civil aviation who died during the Great Patriotic War took place on the central square of the Vnukovo district. Employees of Vnukovo Airport took part in the event.
Natalia Zelenina, Head of the HR and Social Affairs Department of Vnukovo International Airport, noted: "It has already become a good tradition at our airport to join this event on the eve of the Defender of the Fatherland Day. Honoring the memory of the heroes who died during the Great Patriotic War is a sacred duty of our generation. Laying these flowers, we wish with all our heart that we can preserve the peace that was won back in that terrible time, so that the security of our country would be in the safe hands of our defenders — fathers, brothers, husbands, and sons."
The meeting was attended by representatives of Vnukovo Airport, the administration of the district and the municipal district of Vnukovo, veterans of the Great Patriotic War and residents of the district. Participants expressed gratitude and admiration to the courageous Soviet troops who gained a heroic victory in the Great Patriotic War, as well as those who serve today in the armed forces of the Russian Federation and protect our well-being and peace, security and confidence in our future.
Vnukovo International Airport is one of the largest air hubs in Russia. Each year the airport handles about 200,000 flights of Russian and foreign airlines. Its network covers the whole territory of Russia as well as near and far-abroad countries. In 2019, Vnukovo International Airport served over 24 million passengers, breaking its own record. Vnukovo airport terminal with a total area of about 300,000 square meters can handle up to 35 million passengers annually. Vnukovo International Airport is the only airport in Russia to have received Letter of Commendation from the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin for its professional achievements and high performance. Moreover, Vnukovo Airport was recognized as the Best International Airport by Air Gateway of Russia award at National Aviation Infrastructure Show (NAIS) for three consecutive years.
