Pulkovo is the airport of the northern capital of Russia. This is one of the largest points of passenger and cargo air transportation. The airport infrastructure consists of domestic, international and cargo terminals, a special refueling complex (aircraft fueling system) and a parking area.
The airport is 15 kilometers from the city center and serves domestic, international scheduled as well as charter flights. It meets all safety requirements, the new terminal is designed for the complete comfort of passengers.
History of creation
In 1932, an airport designed for civil transportation opened in the city on the Neva. At that time, the airfield was called Shosseinaya in honor of the railway station, which was nearby. And already in 1933, the flagship of the Pravda agitation squadron arrived from Moscow. In the same year, residents of Leningrad raised funds to create a giant aircraft called Maxim Gorky. And on August 18, the USSR celebrated a new holiday - Air Fleet Day.
Leningrad began to actively develop regional transportation. The first squadron (which flew on the U-2, P-1, P-5 aircraft) in Pulkovo under the command of L. Cruz was created in 1934. In 1936, the foundation was laid for the airport terminal, the first of its kind. It looked far from the same as modern airport stations and looked more like a big hut. By 1941, the Leningrad-Moscow flight became a regular passenger route, but after the start of World War II, the Shosseinaya airport was closed because the front line passed through it.
After the blockade was lifted in 1944, the airport resumes transport links, first as a military facility, and after four years it completely switches over to passenger and transportation. In 1951, a new terminal building opens, with which the time comes for jet aircraft, such as the TU-104. In 1965, the Shosseinaya airport became the second in the USSR in terms of passenger traffic (Moscow Vnukovo was in the first place). In the 1970s, the construction of a new terminal and famous glasses began under the leadership of architect A. Zhuk. In 1971, the airport was awarded the Order of the October Revolution.
Welcome to Pulkovo International Airport
In 1973, the construction of a new terminal is completed, and at the same time the name of the airport on Pulkovo changes. Passengers who arrived on April 25 in the hero city of Leningrad, for the first time heard a new unusual name in the information on arrival from the crew of the aircraft. In those days there was no passport control, since flights were mainly to domestic destinations. The famous duty free trading platform Duty Free was also absent, respectively, the passenger flow moved without delays, unlike modern problems at the registrations (large queues and so on).
The year 2005 went down in the history of the airport as the division of Pulkovo Airlines into a separate airline, Rossiya, and a separate company, Pulkovo Airport, which in November 2007 became the property of St. Petersburg.
Airport today
In 2014, all domestic and international flights were completely transferred to a new terminal, built to replace the previous two, which completely stopped their work. At the moment, Pulkovo International consists of one large new modern terminal and Pulkovo-3, designed for business aviation and VIP flights.
The airport meets all international standards and contains:
- Services for withdrawing and exchanging cash. In addition to special exchange points, a number of ATMs are installed in the arrival and departure areas. Also in the arrivals area there is a bank branch that provides a full range of banking services.
- The post office is located on the third floor.
- The first floor is equipped with free Wi-Fi hotspots.
- For passengers who want a snack before departure, the airport offers a variety of bars, restaurants and fast food cafes.
- For those who did not have time to buy souvenirs, or there was a need to buy other necessary things, the terminal has a large selection of shops, both souvenir and clothes, shoes, as well as food markets, bookstores and flower shops.
- Passengers can seek medical help at the first-aid post and pharmacy kiosk.
- In the area of the first floor (the arrival of international flights to Pulkovo Airport), where baggage is checked in, the Lost and Found room (room for forgotten things) is located, passengers who did not find their baggage on the tape can also go here. The application is drawn up in the name of the carrier (airline).
Facilities for passengers
Pulkovo International Airport provides comfortable business lounges. Three VIP lounges: two for domestic flights and one for international flights. Guests can spend their time before the flight departure in peace and convenience, using unlimited high-speed Wi-Fi, take advantage of free drinks and light snacks. And in the local hotel "Pulkovskaya" you can use the conference room for 600 people.
The new airport terminal is equipped with elevators for passengers with disabilities, and the toilets are also equipped with an assistance system. Before boarding an aircraft cabin, such passengers need to notify the airline in advance, and the passenger will be delivered on board using a special medical ambulift.
For transfer passengers, international Pulkovo offers to use the services of the Crown Plaza, Pulkovo and other business class hotels. A special shuttle bus from each hotel runs on a schedule (which can be specified on the websites of a particular hotel).
Directions of flights and airlines
The airport cooperates with many Russian and international airlines. Four Russian airlines are based in the international Pulkovo : Rossiya Airlines , Rusline, the charter airline Azureyr and Pskovavia, as well as a separate Aeroflot squad.
The list of airlines operating flights from / to international Pulkovo is quite extensive, for example, you can purchase tickets for flights: Air France, Azur air, Belavia, Iberia, British Airways, Brussel Airlines, Air Astana, Alitalia, Pegas Fly (Ikar), LOT Polish Airlines, Red Wings, Royal Flight, S7 Airlines, Somon air, Swiss and other carriers.
Pulkovo is an international airport, from where flights depart to destinations such as Zagreb, Athens, Kerkyra, Copenhagen, Berlin, Antalya, Bukhara, Ashgabat, Hamburg, Samarkand, Bishkek, Astana, Ganja, Djerba, Tenerife, Almaty, Dusseldorf, Istanbul, Yerevan , Prague, etc. The list of cities is quite large, you can always find the right option for yourself when planning a vacation or a working trip to a particular country.
Directions of domestic flights are diverse, for example: Yaroslavl, Saratov, Gelendzhik, Yekaterinburg, Izhevsk, Kazan, Anapa, Norilsk, Belgorod, Krasnodar, Magas, Makhachkala, Bugulma, Solovki, Mineralnye Vody, Mirny, Moscow, Murmansk and other cities of our country. Regional Russian companies fly to the airports of small cities, which allows a passenger to get to the desired destination directly.
In Pulkovo, the online scoreboard for international flights (as well as domestic) can be found in the check-in areas, in all departure waiting rooms, as well as on the official website. There is also a schedule of all flights and airline website addresses.
Scheme of the international airport Pulkovo
In the public places of the airport there are layouts of departure and arrival halls for international flights to Pulkovo, domestic flights, as well as other important places for airport guests.
How to get to the city
- Buses 39 and 39A (express) run to Moskovskaya metro station.
- From the airport directly to the city center can be reached by minibus K39.
- On official taxis, the final price of the trip varies from 500 to 1500 rubles (special racks for ordering are located on the second floor of the arrival hall).
There are car parks at the airport: P1, 2, 3, which are located next to the international terminal. These parking lots are used for short-term parking. P4 is slightly removed from the airport building and is long-term (a special free minibus runs to the parking lot with an interval of 15 minutes).
All buses and fixed-route taxis can be found at the exit from the place of arrival of international flights to Pulkovo.