Pulkovo to become competency center for work with Chinese airport equipment makers

ST. PETERSBURG. Aug 11 (Interfax) - Northern Capital Gateway LLC (NCG), the operator of St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport, has signed five memorandums on cooperation with Chinese companies that manufacture airport equipment, NCG's press service reported.

"Five companies that have become partners of Pulkovo manufacture airfield, airport equipment and screening equipment. Cooperation presumes putting the Chinese producers' equipment into operation at the airport, as well as training of the airport's employees," NCG said.

"China is a leader in innovative solutions, where production is up to 95% localized. Cooperation with the largest players on this market opens up opportunities for us to exchange experience and master new technologies. Pulkovo will become a center of expertise on working with manufacturers from China for Russian airports. [...] We are prepared to help our colleagues in the airport sector to increase their effectiveness when working with Chinese partners," NCG chief executive Leonid Sergeyev was quoted as saying by the press service.

Pulkovo is already a testing ground and competency center for the rollout of Russian and Belarusian airfield equipment, as well as bird detection and deterrence systems based on domestic software, NCG said. Pulkovo is prepared to invest up to 7 billion rubles in modernizing its airfield and airport equipment in the period to 2028.

Pulkovo handled 18.2 million passengers in 2022, 0.6% more than in 2021. This included 15.8 million domestic passengers, the second highest figure among Russian airports after Moscow's Sheremetyevo.