09.02.2023

The 10th Anniversary NAIS National Civil Aviation Infrastructure Exhibition and Forum ended on 8 February in Crocus Expo IEC. This year's event was timed to coincide with the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Russian civil aviation. The Aluminium Association participated in NAIS as an exhibitor for the first time, showcasing innovative aluminium solutions for the aviation industry at its stand. Among the exhibits are the LD3 aircraft container for passenger luggage transport, as well as prefabricated aluminium covers for heliports and small aviation airfields.

Aircraft container and container pallet is a completely domestic development, before that airlines and ground services used foreign-made products. The container is made of 7xxx series aluminium alloys and weighs 66kg. With a payload capacity of 1.5 tonnes, it can withstand five times overloads while maintaining structural integrity. The container is suitable for foreign and Russian-made aircraft, including various Aerobus and Boeing models, as well as MS-21.

Lightweight aluminium covers for heliports are designed for use in difficult natural-climatic and engineering-geological conditions, especially in difficult and remote regions where the necessary construction equipment and road-building materials are not available. The use of lightweight and durable aluminium coatings can reduce logistics, construction and operating costs by up to 30% and speed up installation times. The stand of the Aluminium Association demonstrated samples of helipads that can be used for helicopters of various types - from heavy Mi-26 and medium Mi-8 to light Robinson. Representatives of the Association also took part in the NAIS-2023 business programme.

Elena Kotelnikova, Project Manager of the Aluminium Association, spoke in the session "Construction, Design and Technology in Modernising Modern Airport Infrastructure". The expert spoke about the advantages of aluminium coatings for heliports. The helicopter pads, assembled from 20 cm wide aluminium lamellae, can support a nominal load of 548 tonnes. The previously obtained results of bench and field tests allowed the use of innovative products. This type of coating has been successfully operated in different regions of Russia for two years.

"If there is a need to deploy an airstrip in a hard-to-reach area, where it is impossible to reach by any other means of transport except air, there is simply no better solution than aluminium plates," stressed Elena Kotelnikova.

In addition to the developments presented by the Aluminium Association, the participants of the business programme at the NAIS exhibition and forum demonstrated projects related to the application of aluminium solutions in the construction of airport infrastructure facilities. For example, the non-capital terminal building at Shakhtersk Airport on Sakhalin Island uses an earthquake-resistant frame made of aluminium structures.

In general, the debut of the Aluminium Association in the exposition programme of the NAIS exhibition and forum was successful. This is evidenced by the increased interest of representatives of the professional community in the aluminium industry products presented at the Association's stand.