The new cargo terminal of 19 thousand square metres encompasses the airport's cargo division, the Koltsovo Customs, forwarding companies, offices of cargo agents and carriers, and represents the first phase of the construction of a large-scale cargo village.

"The cargo terminal commissioning will enable us, within just two years, to double the cargo traffic passing via Ekaterinburg, and that will mean doubling of foreign and domestic trade, increasing the investment appeal of the region, and enhancing the capital inflow to all branches of the Sverdlovsk Oblast economy," emphasized Governor Kuivashev.

In a feasibility study conducted in 2009/2010, Ryan Aviation Consulting identified the potential that the airport could open up in the air freight segment. This included conceptual design for a new freight terminal and the construction of a cargo village, which is being carried out in phases. The detailed design stage was completed by the end of 2011.
The Phase 1 investment amounted to approx. 1.4 billion rubles. Another 22 000 square metres of buildings and structures will be constructed in 2018–22. The financing of the second phase will amount to 800 million rubles. The modern cargo infrastructure will enable an increase of the Koltsovo cargo traffic, which by 2030 will amount to 79 400 tonnes, more than 2½ times the figure of the year 2011 (about 25 thousand tonnes).

Ryan Aviation Consulting led the work to determine demand, product, equipment and operational requirements for the emerging air freight market. Core to the functionality and design was the ability to adapt and grow as the market matures and the product mix changes in the future. Future proofing design can be a complex and challenging task, taking into account security, safety, service, environmental, flexibility and growth. Ryan Aviation Consulting has many years of experience across the globe and various airfreight throughput scenarios that were incorporated into the inovative operational concept and detailed design.

The new cargo terminal, the cornerstone of which was laid in June 2011, started test operation precisely a year later, in June 2012. In July 2012, the cargo handling and dispatch processes were demonstrated to the general public. Use of new equipment in conjunction with software decreases the cargo handling and shipper servicing times significantly. For example, an e-queuing system is implemented, pneumatic tubes are installed for document exchange, state-of-the-art introscopes are utilized for security control, roller decks help speed up movement of cargo inside the terminal.

Various types of cargo can be placed and stored, such as dangerous goods, perishables, valuable freight, etc.
"Since we launched the Koltsovo Airport large-scale reconstruction project in 2003, we have been seeing more and more that it was the right, effectual decision," pointed out Evgeniy Olkhovik, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Koltsovo Airport company and co-owner of the Renova Group. "The airport has already moved to the leading positions, and the putting into service of the cargo terminal's Phase 1 opens up opportunities for a dynamic development of cargo traffic."