Pulkovo Airport Attracts Freight Cargo Carriers

OREANDA-NEWS. Northern Capital Gateway LLC, the managing company of Pulkovo airport, has attracted a new air-cargo company, expanding its presence in the area of cargo transportation.

Сurrently the amount of cargo flights departing from St. Petersburg is nearly negligible, leaving KoreanAir as the only foreign cargo carrier which operates regular air-freight shipments from Pulkovo. The airport's strategic goal is to attract new air-cargo airlines from Asia and the Middle East such as TurkishCargo, AirBridgeCargo, and EmiratesSkyCargo.

Pulkovo airport already houses all of the necessary infrastructure needed to service the loads of increased freight carriage. In 2013, a new cargo platform was commissioned which can be used with practically any aircraft, from the Antonov An-12 to the Locheed C-5. The airport's Pulkovo cargo terminal is the largest of its kind in the North-Western region, notably ranking in the top five of Russian cargo terminals. The total functional area of the freight complex is about 12k by 6k sq. m occupied by warehouses and a freight collection-delivery zone.

To encourage the development of regular freight shipments, Pulkovo, St. Petersburg's airport, has developed a special incentive program providing support to airlines using a system of bonuses. A regulation entitled „The procedure of discount application to service freight flights at Pulkovo airport" was put into effect October 26th, 2014. This currently enables carriers engaged in regular cargo flights from Pulkovo airport to quality for bonuses increasing with the amount of freight flights per week. New airlines which intend to carry out regular flights, at least once a week, are also supported under this program. Bonuses are provided in the form of discounts on airport charges including, take-offs, landings, security charges, and other fees, to the amount of 30-45% depending on the amount of cargo flights per week. The following chart provides detailed information about the set bonuses:

Bonus amounts given to new airlines, airlines starting new cargo flights:

Bonus amounts given to currently housed aviation companies increasing their frequency of cargo flights:

The practice of offering initiatives to passenger transport flights has existed at Pulkovo since 2001, when it began its „Encouraging the development of route airline networks at Pulkovo airport" act. The St. Petersburg airport has been actively developing its cooperation with airlines, and is always offering new opportunities for its Russian and foreign partners.