 On November 16, 2009, the airport had its first international flight, taking pilgrims on Hajj to Saudi Arabia via a Boeing 747.After four years of construction, the Akhmad Kadyrov Mosque was formally opened to the public on October 16, 2008, and is considered one of the largest mosques in Europe.In 2009, the city of Grozny was honored by the UN Human Settlements Program for transforming the war-scarred city and providing new homes for thousands.