On January 21 1936, the Council of People's Commissars of the Crimean ASSR adopted a decree on allocation of land and beginning construction of an airport in Simferopol and opening a Simferopol - Moscow airline since 01.05.1936. In the pre-war years, the flights were performed to Kyiv, Kharkiv and other cities of Ukraine. Po-2 airplane crews performed successful flights to aid agricultural companies to grow good cereals and grape harvest. The head of the airport was Ilya Andreyevich Chibisov at that time. The Simferopol airport was the bases to form up a Special Black Sea Air Squad of Civil Air Fleet during the first days of the Great Patriotic War, which took active part in the military operations in various frontlines, and in 1944 it directly participated in liberation of the hero city of Sevastopol.

Iliya Andreyevich Chibisov The Head of the Simferopol Airport 1936-1938.

As a reward for combat merits, the air squad was named the 9th Separate Air Squadron of the Civil Air Fleet. The air squadron was commanded by Nikolay Ivanovich Zatsepa. In the years that followed the war, the airplanes deployed in the airport would fly to carry passengers and mail on the lines Simferopol - Moscow, Kyiv, Kharkiv, and in Crimea. The amount of air-chemical work for fertilization of winter crops, chemical treatment of gardens and vineyards both in Crimea and outside would grow every year.

Nikolay Ivanovich Zatsepa The Head of the Simferopol Airport 1945-1954.

The 50s and 60s brought achievements of technical progress to our airport. A new airport building was erected and commissioned in September 1957, the unpaved runway was equipped with night start instruments, Il-12 and Il-14 base airplanes and Mi-4 helicopters were put in operation. The construction of a concrete runway was completed in 1960, and it was fitted for round-the-clock arrival and departure of airplanes in regular and difficult weather conditions, a ramp and airplane parking area were built. The airport started receiving An-10 and Il-18 airplanes. The Simferopol air company was headed by Afanasy Alexeyevich Prokopov since 1954 till 1959.

Afanasy Alexeyevich Prokopov Commander of the 79th Air Squad 1954-1959.

The An-2 airplanes were used to carry passengers and cargos nearly to all district centers of Crimea and outside of it, and Mi-4 airplanes flew to Yalta. Later on such flights were performed on Mi-8 helicopters. In 1960, according to a decree of the Ukrainian Civil Aviation Department, a squadron of Tu-104 airplanes was organized for the first time in Ukraine. For the first time in Ukraine, the flight personnel learned operation of this airplane, maintenance and commercial service of this new type of aircraft with high characteristics of flight safety and economic factors. The head of the Simferopol air squad was Nikolay Nikolayevich Osipenko since 1959 till 1963.

Nikolay Nikolayevich Osipenko Commander of the 79th Air Squad 1959-1963.

A new building of the aviation and technical base was commissioned in 1964, which allowed the personnel to provide maintenance of complex aviation equipment at a high level. The airport had An-24 airplanes. In the same year the water supply system was built for the garrison, as well as a redundancy power supply line. The amount of air transportation would grow every year thanks to operation of multi-seat aircraft, appropriate level of the personnel's training, and the condition of the ground base. For example, in 1960 some 186,000 passengers were carried from the airport, and in 1965 - nearly 700,000. The central boiler house, heating network were commissioned in 1965; a 352 passenger hotel was opened in 1966. Construction of residential houses for the personnel and their families was going on actively. The air company was headed by Valentin Andreyevich Utkin since 1963 till 1973. The intensive growth of air transportation volume, the need to receive Il-86 and Il-62 multi-seat wide-body airplanes required modernization of the technical base of the airport. In 1977 with a continuously increasing care by the Ukrainian Department of Civil Aviation administration, Crimean oblast committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine, and the Executive Committee, the construction of the second runway was started. This runway was designed for operation of Il-86, Yu-204, Il-76, Il-62, Tu-154 airplanes.

Valentin Andreyevich Utkin Commander of the Simferopol United Air Squad - the Head of the Airport in 1963-1973.

Construction of a new unique object with all structures was completed and commissioned in 1982. Commissioning of the second runway allowed providing a qualitatively new level in reception and service of passengers. This runway guarantees reception and letting out of all types of aircraft without any limitation by the takeoff mass: it is fitted with radio and lighting systems of flight support ensuring landing in difficult weather conditions. On 19 May 1982, for the first time in Ukraine, the Simferopol airport received an Il-86 wide-body airplane. The team has successfully mastered its maintenance and commercial service. This airplane used to make 5 - 6 flights to Moscow in the summer period, providing practically complete haulage of passengers on that line. At the same time, construction of residential facilities was going on. The head of the air company since 1973 till 1986 was Vladimir Nikolayevich Vereta. Since 1986 till 1989, the commander of the Simferopol air company was Alexander Sergheyevich Georgiyevsky.

Vladimir Nikolayevich Vereta Commander of the Simferopol United Air Squad, the head of the airport 1973-1986

Alexander Sergheyevich Georgiyevsky Commander of the Simferopol United Air Squad 1986-1989.

The air company has been headed by the Director General Vladimir Alexandrovich Anufriyev since 1989.

Vladimir Alexandrovich Anufriyev The Director General of the "Simferopol" International Airport since 1989.

He was born on July 26, 1938 in Leningrad. He graduated from the high school in 1957.  Since November 1957 to November 1961 he served in Soviet army. From 1962 to 1983 - worked in the Far North in the system of Yakut Civil Aviation Administration (foreman, section chief, head of capital construction, deputy commander of the Yakut united squadron). In 1983 transferred by the order of the Minister of Civil Aviation on the position of the chief of construction and assembly of "Aviastroy" governance, Simferopol. Since January 1989 to present - Simferopol united squadron commander, Director General of "Simferopol" International Airport, chairman of the board of JSC of “Simferopol” International Airport. He has made a significant contribution to the development of the airport. He graduated from the Moscow Civil Engineering Institute and the Academy of Civil Aviation

He has received awards and honors:

• Order of Honour
• Order of Merit of I, II, III degree, medals;
• Order of Saint Nicholas of II, III degree;
• Order of St. Nestor the Chronicler from Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine;
• Golden jubilee medal in honor of 10th anniversary of the election of the first president of Ukraine;
• Memorial medal of the nominee of the almanac "The Golden Book of Ukrainian Elite";
• Honored Ukrainian transport worker
• Honored Autonomic Republic of Crimea transport worker
• Conferred the honorary title "People's Ambassador of Ukraine".

Since 2002 he became a Member of the Supreme Council of the Autonomic Republic of Crimea.

During this period a lot of work was done to increase the capacity of the airport and improvement of passenger service quality. The terminal of international flights departures was reconstructed. The terminal of arrival of international flights was build. The terminal of domestic airlines was introduced. The air terminal square was reconstructed. Business, VIP and official delegations halls were put into operation. Landing and meteorological support systems were modernized.

There are charter and regular flights from the "Simferopol" Airport to more than 70 cities of Ukraine, CIS, and other countries. The airport is connected by regular flights with cities of Ukraine and airports of such cities as:

cities of other countries:

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