The thousands of fans travelling to Russia can access new facilities that will make their trip more pleasant and comfortable. New airports, stadiums and other infrastructure are also part of the legacy of the 2018 FIFA World Cup™. A new international terminal at Nizhny Novgorod's Strigino Airport, which is to be opened ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, was inspected by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is Chairman of the Russia 2018 Local Organising Committee Supervisory Board.

The new terminal at Strigino Airport, where work began in July 2014, is equipped with the latest technology. The terminal has four air bridges, 17 check-in desks and four baggage carousels to serve those living in and travelling to Nizhny Novgorod, as well as fans visiting the city during the World Cup. Strigino's international terminal has a capacity of over 1.5 million people a year.

“I guess we can access this new terminal as one of the best of its kind if we evaluate the terminals built in Russia over the last years”, Nizhny Novgorod Governor Valery Shantsev commented after taking part in the visit alongside the Russian President.

The World Cup is not the end goal for development at the airport complex: there are plans for second and third construction phases, depending on passenger numbers. For instance, the motorway linking the airport to the city is also set to be modernised to make travelling to the terminal more convenient for those visiting and living in Nizhny Novgorod.

The first test flight from the new Strigino passenger terminal took place on 30 December 2015, and the terminal had a “soft” opening on 4 March. Now, it is serving all domestic flights, and there are plans to extend this to international flights in the second quarter of 2016. And in 2018 it is going to be especially busy.

The city of Nizhny Novgorod will host six World Cup matches in 2018: four in the group stages, one in the Round of 16 and one quarter-final fixture.