Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/. On February 10, Head of the Civil Aviation Policy Implementation and Coordination Department of the Ministry of Road and Transport Ch.Munkhtuya, Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Mongolia (MCAA) S.Munkhnasan, CEO of MIAT Mongolian Airlines B.Munkhtamir and other corresponding officials became acquainted with operations being carried out for international flights at Chinggis Khaan International Airport.

During the working visit, the sides discussed the fluidity of passengers, current difficulties being faced in terms of freight, the questionnaire being filled in by passengers due to the pandemic situation, and issues concerning border control and monitoring as well as human resources. 

Due to the pandemic situation, it is currently mandatory for passengers on international flights to fill in a questionnaire about their health. Per the order issued by the State Emergency Commission in 2021, infection surveillance and assessments are being carried out based on the passengers’ questionnaires.

As for freight, international flights conducted by Turkish Airlines have two times more baggage and cargo compared to other flights, of which 40 percent are required to be imposed with customs duty. Furthermore, as the planes’ cargo doors are often found to be frozen after landing, it becomes another factor for the passengers to wait longer and begin to form crowds. Due to how flights connecting Ulaanbaatar with Turkish cities and Hong Kong are currently considered to be of certain risk, baggage is classified in order to conduct monitoring and assessment in further detail alongside checking the hand luggage being carried by passengers.

In the last two years, the flow of air transport considerably decreased. More recently, due to the closure of Zamiin-Uud border checkpoint, there was also a significant increase in the amount of freight being delivered on flights between Turkey and Mongolia around New Year’s Eve and Tsagaan Sar. However, operations have now returned to normal as the amount of cargo has reached average levels following the holidays.

At the end of the meeting, Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Mongolia S.Munkhnasan noted how international airports impose certain requirements for the flights they receive, and highlighted the importance of regulating the issues in order to not cause any difficulties for citizens and passengers.

The meeting was attended by CEO of ‘New Ulaanbaatar International Airport’ (NUBIA) LLC Kato Takeo, the company’s Chief Operating Officer D.Lkhagvadorj, Head of the Customs Department at Chinggis Khaan International Airport G.Baasandorj, and other officials.