After nine years and a doubling in construction costs, the new terminal D at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport is finally open to travellers. There are none of the scuffed rubber floor mats, the dingy corners and endless queues that are so much a part of the travel experience at the older Sheremetyevo 2.

Instead, all is space and light, with a shiny TGI Fridays on almost every corner and fancy coffee shops with croissants instead of stale sandwiches. Even the traditionally dour passport officials have been replaced with people who smile and say they like their new workplace.

The $900m project is a big step in the Kremlin’s drive to improve its image and Russia’s worn-out infrastructure. But the story of terminal D, with its delays, in-fighting and budget over-runs, suggests that modernising the country will be even harder than getting through the Sheremetyevo-2 passport queues on a busy day.