Moscow's Vnukovo airport to impose noise restrictions in 2011

Moscow's Vnukovo airport will stop receiving aircraft with noise levels that exceed existing standards, starting in March 2011, Russia's Vedomosti daily said on Tuesday, citing a senior airport official.

Moscow's Vnukovo airport will stop receiving aircraft with noise levels that exceed existing standards, starting in March 2011, Russia's Vedomosti daily said on Tuesday, citing a senior airport official.

The list of aircraft slated for the ban includes the Russian-made Tu-134, Tu-154B and Il-86 airliners.

"It is necessary to reduce noise levels because Vnukovo is the closest major Moscow airport to the city," Vedomosti quoted Vitaly Vantsev, first deputy general director of the Vnukovo airport.

Vantsev said that the measure would not affect the profitability of the airport because the Russian air carriers are gradually replacing these aircraft with new planes and their share in airport operations had dropped to 10-15 percent.

Vnukovo is one of Russia's largest air gateways, handling more than 130,000 flights and about 8 million passengers annually.

MOSCOW, October 26 (RIA Novosti)