Pulkovo Airport is an international airport serving Saint Petersburg,
Russia. It consists of one terminal, Terminal 1 which is located 23 km south
of the city centre. The airport serves as a hub for Rossiya Airlines, and as
focus city for Nordavia. Pulkovo International Airport is responsible for
serving the citizens of Saint Petersburg, as well as the Leningrad
Oblast: a total of 6,120,000 people. Description
Pulkovo Airport was officially opened on June 24, 1932, as a state-owned domestic
airport. In 2013, 12,854,366 passengers traveled through Pulkovo airport, making
it the 3rd busiest airport in Russia and Post-Soviet states. Pulkovo had a
passenger traffic rate of 9,874,941 as of September 1, 2014. The airport holds
the title of being one of the largest airports in Russia and Eastern Europe.
History = 1931-1986=
In January 1931, construction of an aerodrome near Saint Petersburg
commenced and was completed on June 24, 1932, with the first aircraft arriving
at 17:31 that day, after a two-and-a-half hour flight from Moscow
carrying passengers and mail. This aerodrome was at first named Shosseynaya
Airport: the name coming from the nearby Shosseynaya train station. Soon after
the airport opened regular flights to Petrozavodsk, Pudozh, Arkhangelsk, and
Murmansk. In 1936, a foundation for a new terminal
was laid out. Leningrad's airport was also provided with new G-2s and PS-84s.
In 1941, a new completely commercial passenger route between Moscow and
Leningrad was opened; before it was a mixed passenger-mail route. Construction
of the new terminal thrived between 1937-1941. The architects of the new
3-story terminal were Aleksandr Ivanovich Gegello and N.E. Lansere.
Construction was abruptly put on hold in July 1941, 1 month after Nazi Germany's
invasion of the USSR on June 22, 1941. The airport was the frontline in the
Nazi Siege of Leningrad. There were no flights between 1941-1944. The nearby
Pulkovo hills were occupied by the Nazis and were used by the long-range
artillery for daily bombardments of Leningrad. The airport was cleared of
the Nazis in January 1944, and resumed cargo and mail flights after the runways
were repaired in 1945. In February 1948, after the damage was completely
repaired, the airport resumed scheduled passenger flights. In 1949, there were
scheduled flights to 15 major cities of the USSR, and 15 more short-range
flights within the north-western Russia. In 1949 Shosseynaya Airport recorded a
passenger traffic rate of 6,305, 333 tons of mail, and 708 tons of cargo.
In 1951, the construction of the new terminal was complete. In the mid-1950s
the new extended runway was completed, allowing to handle larger aircraft such
as Ilyushin-18 and Tupolev-104. in that same time period the exploitation of jet
engine planes began in Shosseynaya Airport. On March 15, 1959, the
USSR-42419 Tu-104 was the first commercial jet airplane to take of from
the Shosseynaya Airport. In the early 1960s long-distance
airplanes such as the An-24 and Yak-40 began to appear in the airport. Flights
to Vladivostok began to emerge in the flight lists. ICAO category 1 standards
were implemented in 1965, making way for international operations. By the late
1960s, over 60 airlines had flights to and from Saint Petersburg's airport. On
February 8, 1971, Shosseynaya was awarded the Order of the October
Revolution. The airport was renamed to Pulkovo Airport on April 24, 1973. In
May 1973, the new Pulkovo 1 terminal was opened. The famous 5-cup Pulkovo 1 was
designed by Alexandr Zyk. The 5 cups on top were put intentionally to give the
terminal a more spacious feeling, as well as to allow more natural sunlight
to pass through. This terminal is regarded as a masterpiece of Soviet
postmodern architecture. Pulkovo 1 was a domestic-only terminal. Domestic air
traffic increased approximately 45% every decade between the 1970-1990s. The
old pre-war building of the airport was renamed to Pulkovo 2 and the terminal
was exploited for international flights only.
On April 11, 1986, the new departure and arrival zones for the international
terminal were completed, doubling the passenger traffic rate capacity of
Pulkovo 1. = 1986-2007=
In 1990 Pulkovo Airport reach its passenger traffic rate peak of over
10,000,000 passengers. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union the
number of passengers declined. In 2005 Pulkovo Airport gained independence as
it separated from the Pulkovo Aviation Enterprise. Also in 2005 Rosavia
declares that Pulkovo Airport is to have an open tender on an investment project
of the new terminal construction.This allowed it to sell shares and begin
working on investment bidding projects. In 2006 Pulkovo Airport served just over
5,000,000 passengers: only 50% of the number from 1990.
= 2007-Present= In 2007, the winner was announced.
Grimshaw Architects wins the tender. In 2009 The Saint Petersburg Transportation
Ministry requests that an operating company for Pulkovo Airport be created.
NCG,a consortium, is set up by Russian VTB Capital Bank, international Fraport
AG Company and Greek Copelouzos Group. On April 29, 2010. NCG wins the tender
for a 30-year operating lease over Pulkovo Airport. On November 24, 2010,
Vladimir Putin attends the construction ceremony and on that same day
construction of the new 150,000 m² Terminal 1.
Passenger Statistics Infrastructure
= Pulkovo 2= Pulkovo 2 is approximately 25,000 m2.
The terminal used to serve as the international departures and arrivals
zone. It was last renovated in 2009. Today, Pulkovo 2 is used as a
second-hand terminal for government officials and VIP members.
= Pulkovo 1= This terminal is 43,000 m2. It served as
the main terminal for over 30 years. Pulkovo 1 was built for 6,500,000
passengers annually, but by 2008 it surpassed its maximum capacity. Today
Pulkovo 1 is under a major reconstruction. This terminal is planned
to be used as the domestic transit/departure zone. The zone is
planned to have several duty-free shops, restaurants, and 6 jet bridges. When
Pulkovo 1 is completed, Pulkovo Airport's capacity will increase to
17,000,000 passengers annually. Reconstruction of Pulkovo 1 is scheduled
for completion at the end of 2015,but it was already finished in the end of
2014.Now renewed terminal 1 is using for the domestic flights.
= Terminal 1= Construction of Terminal 1 was delayed
several times and began in 2010. In November 2013, the airport was tested
for errors by over 5,200 residents of Saint Petersburg who partook in the
process. Several days after the testings the The new Terminal 1 opened on
December 3, 2013. On February 14, 2014, all operations were consolidated into
the new terminal as the old Pulkovo 1 and Pulkovo 2 terminals have been shut
down. The new terminal contains several business lounges, restaurants,
pharmacies, and an Irish pub. Terminal 1 is 147,000 m SQ and has 400,000 m²
airport dock in front of it. The airport has 88 check-in counters, 110 passport
booths, 7 baggage carousels, 110 parking stands, 17 gates, and 17 escalators. The
interior of the new airport was designed by Grimshaw Architects and directly
correlates with the designs and style of Saint Petersburg city. The new Terminal
also sought many artistic sculptures and paintings to give a sense of thriving
culture to passengers. Four sculptures from Dmitry Shorin's project named I
Believe in Angels decorate the departure hall.
Airlines and destinations = Passenger=
= Cargo= Statistics
Ground transportation "Marshrutka" minibuses № K-39 run on
several lines, some of them following the city bus routes.
Pulkovo Airport is served by the shuttle buses(№39 and №39A).They are connecting
the airport with metro station "Moskovskaya" on line M2.
Railroad station "Аirport" in 15 munutes walk from the terminal 1.
For private car travel, Pulkovo Airport is accessible via the nearby Pulkovo
Highway from St. Petersburg city center. There are drop offs and pick up areas at
both terminals, as well as short and long stay outdoor car parking.
Accidents and incidents April 27, 1974, an Ilyushin Il-18V
passenger aircraft of Aeroflot flying to Krasnodar crashed right after take off
from Pulkovo after engine fire. All 108 passengers and 10 members of crew died.
June 26, 1991, an Antonov An-24 cargo aircraft of the AKF Polet company
heading to Voronezh crashed in the Gulf of Finland five minutes after take off
from Pulkovo. All ten people on board died.
August 22, 2006, a Tupolev Tu-154M passenger flight of Pulkovo Aviation
Enterprise from Anapa to Pulkovo crashed in Ukraine. All 160 passengers and 10
members of crew died. See Pulkovo Airlines Flight 612.
For a more comprehensive list, see Aviation Safety Network Entry for LED.
See also List of the busiest airports in Russia
List of the busiest airports in the former USSR
List of the busiest airports in Europe References
External links Official site
Rossiya Airlines Current weather for ULLI at NOAA/NWS
Accident history for LED at Aviation Safety Network