Chinese New Year at Pulkovo: A Record 61% Passenger Traffic Increase - RUSSIAN AVIATION

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Chinese New Year at Pulkovo: A Record 61% Passenger Traffic Increase

Russian Aviaton » Wednesday February 18, 2026 16:27 MSK

Pulkovo Airport celebrated the Chinese New Year with a festive program for passengers. In the terminal, passengers were treated to a meeting with a Chinese dragon, fan dances, greeting cards in Chinese, and a festive cake.

Guests from China received red envelopes containing three chocolate coins between check-in times. In Chinese tradition, the number "3" symbolizes career and creative growth.

The celebration was joined by the Consul General of the People's Republic of China in St. Petersburg, Luo Zhanhui, Deputy Chairman of the St. Petersburg Committee for External Relations, Nizami Mamishev, representatives of Chinese airlines, and other distinguished guests.

"We want Chinese guests to feel at home at Pulkovo. It's not just the growing number of flights that matters to us, but also a vibrant cultural dialogue. One of the key drivers of passenger traffic is the introduction of a visa-free regime. We serve up to 3,000 passengers daily to Chinese destinations ," noted Asiyat Khalvashi, Director of Aviation Commerce at Northern Capital Gateway.

Key indicators of the Chinese direction:

January 2026: passenger traffic increased by 61% compared to January 2025 and exceeded 30 thousand people.

2025:

Pulkovo served approximately 370,000 passengers on Chinese routes—a 54% increase compared to 2024.
The most popular destination is Shanghai. Flights are operated by China Eastern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Sichuan Airlines, and Aeroflot.
Flight frequency is up to three flights daily, capacity is up to 3 thousand passengers per day.

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