Pulkovo Airport
St. Petersburg, Russia
Pulkovo Airport
St. Petersburg's main international gateway serving northwest Russia.
- ›The airport is named after the nearby Pulkovo Heights, site of significant WWII battles during the Siege of Leningrad.
- ›A new state-of-the-art terminal opened in December 2014 as part of a major redevelopment project.
- ›Pulkovo handled over 20 million passengers in 2019, a record at the time.
- ›International operations were severely curtailed in 2022 following European airspace closures and airline suspensions due to sanctions.
- ›The airport is operated under a concession agreement by Pulkovo Airport LLC, a consortium including Fraport AG.
Pulkovo Airport is St. Petersburg's sole commercial airport, located approximately 15 kilometres south of the city centre near the historic Pulkovo Heights. Originally opened in 1932, it underwent a major transformation with the completion of a modern unified terminal in 2014, designed by Grimshaw Architects. Serving as the second-busiest airport in Russia, Pulkovo connects the cultural capital of Russia to dozens of domestic and international destinations.
- Pulkovo Terminal (LED) — A single integrated modern terminal handling all domestic and international flights, featuring a sweeping roof structure and streamlined passenger flow.
- Bus routes K39 and K39A connect the airport to Moskovskaya Metro Station (Line 2) in approximately 30–40 minutes
- St. Petersburg Metro (Moskovskaya station) accessible via bus transfer, providing city-wide connectivity
- Licensed taxis available from the designated taxi zone outside the arrivals hall
- Ride-hailing apps including Yandex Go operate from the airport
- Car rental desks from major providers located in the arrivals area
- Private transfer services bookable in advance through hotels and agencies
- Park Inn by Radisson Pulkovskaya
- Crowne Plaza St. Petersburg Airport
- Novotel St. Petersburg Centre
- Holiday Inn St. Petersburg Moskovskiye Vorota
- Azimut Hotel St. Petersburg
Inside the terminal, passengers will find a mix of Russian and international food options including café chains, sit-down restaurants, and grab-and-go outlets spread across the departure zones. The airside area offers a reasonable selection of hot meals, coffee bars, and bakeries suitable for most layover lengths. For more varied dining, the Moskovskiy district near the metro station has numerous local restaurants and eateries a short bus ride away.
- Allow extra time for passport control and security, especially during peak summer tourist season when queues can be lengthy.
- Currency exchange and ATMs are available inside the terminal, but rates in the city centre are generally more competitive.
- Bus K39 is the most cost-effective way into the city; purchase tickets from the driver or at the bus stop kiosk.
- St. Petersburg enforces an e-visa regime for many nationalities — confirm your visa requirements well before travel as the airport has strict border control procedures.
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Pulkovo Airport is an international airport serving St. Petersburg, Russia. It is the 2nd-busiest airport in Russia and post-Soviet states as well as 30th-busiest airport in Europe. It consists of one terminal which is located 23 km (14 mi) south of the city centre. The airport serves as a hub for Aeroflot and Rossiya Airlines and as focus city for Smartavia. It is responsible for serving the citizens of Saint Petersburg and the Leningrad Oblast, a total of 6,120,000 people.
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