St Petersburg's Pulkovo airport has opened its new main passenger terminal in a bid to become a major hub in northwest Russia.
On 4 December, the locally based Aeroflot subsidiary Rossiya Airlines performed three rotations to Germany from the new facility, which will eventually accommodate all operations that are carried out from Pulkovo's terminals 1 and 2.
Consortium Northern Capital Gateway, which handles the airport development under a 30-year concession, completed the construction project in three years at a cost of €1.2 billion ($1.6 billion).
General director Sergei Emdin says the unified terminal is part of a plan to create one of the largest hubs in the Baltic region. "It will help expand the airport's catchment area [and] flight geography, boost traffic and contribute to economic growth in northwest Russia," he says.
While incorporating the two existing terminal, the complex offers 2.5 times the floor space: 140,000m2. There are 88 check-in counters and 110 passport and customs control booths, as well as seven high-speed baggage-handling systems.
The project also includes expansion of apron and taxiway areas to 450,000m2 from 250,000m2. On the landside, it is accompanied is a four-star hotel, a business centre and a multi-level parking lot.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
