Pulkovo St. Petersburg International Airport, for the fourth year in a row, became the winner of the national ‘Air Gates of Russia’ award. According to the passengers’ votes, the air harbor of St. Petersburg ranked as the most comfortable among the Russian airports. The awards ceremony took place at the Russian National Aviation Infrastructure Show (NAIS) in Moscow, on February 6, 2019. Earlier, for three years in a row, the passengers named Pulkovo St. Petersburg airport the best Russian airport, according to the voting results of “Air Gateway of Russia” for the years 2016, 2017, and 2018.
Vladimir Yakushev, Chief Executive Officer of Pulkovo Airport operator Northern Capital Gateway LLC, noted:
“It is a great honor for Pulkovo to receive this prestigious national award. Passengers’ recognition is the highest assessment an airport may obtain. We are proud that travelers, from year to year, note the high level of comfort and service quality at Pulkovo and choose St. Petersburg airport as a starting point for their journey and as a gateway to Russia. We are grateful for this trust, and will continue to improve the infrastructure, launch new services, and widen possibilities for travelling from Pulkovo.”
Additionally, the Expert Board of NAIS forum named Pulkovo a laureate of the ‘The Best Airport 2018’ nomination (‘More than 15 million passengers per year’ group). The board of the aviation industry experts assessed the accomplishments of the airports in the following categories: airport terminals and passenger facilities, aviation marketing and services for airlines, the airport (airfield) infrastructure, safety, non-aviation commercial services, and more.
In 2018, Pulkovo served 18.1 million people, marking the airport’s historic record in traffic figures for one calendar year. During the year, the route network of Pulkovo Airport was expanded by 20 new destinations. Four new airlines launched scheduled flights from the St. Petersburg airport. Additionally, in 2018, Pulkovo served two new types of aircraft for the first time: the world’s largest aircraft Airbus A380, and one of the newest and most advanced type of narrow-body aircraft Boeing 737 MAX 8. During the year, Pulkovo launched several new passenger services, including remote check-in for flights from St. Petersburg, 24-hour baggage drop-off counters and car sharing. In addition, in 2018, the airport’s operator expanded the parking complex: a free cellphone parking lot was opened on Pulkovskoe Highway, and 100 additional spaces were created in the short-term parking area P2.
The NAIS Organizing Committee established the ‘Air Gates of Russia’ award in 2015, the Federal Air Transportation Agency of Russia together with Russia’s leading aviation news publication avia.ru. The goal of award is to distinguish and promote the most efficiently and stably developing Russian airports, to create a positive image of airport operators and their business reputation in the community. The Expert Board of the award consists of representatives from the major Russian airlines, heads of industry associations, leading aviation journalists.