IrAero Airlines plans to launch direct scheduled flights from Pulkovo Airport to China starting in October 2018. These flights will be operated on comfortable Boeing 777-200 aircraft with a two-class configuration to Hangzhou and the cities of Sanya and Haikou on Hainan Island.
"The China route is set to grow—there's mutual interest from both our and Chinese tourists. Starting in late October of this year, we plan to launch a regular flight program from St. Petersburg to three destinations in China: Sanya, Haikou, and Hangzhou. By the end of the year, flights will operate one to two times per week. Starting in 2019, we plan to operate two times per week," said Dmitry Kukanov, First Deputy General Director for Operations at IrAero Airlines.
"We welcome IrAero's decision to expand its route network from St. Petersburg. China is one of Pulkovo Airport's fastest-growing destinations. I am confident that the new direct flights to Hainan and Hangzhou will be in demand among both tourists and business travelers," noted Evgeny Ilyin, Commercial Director of Pulkovo Airport's managing company, Northern Capital Gateway (NCG).
IrAero also operates daily flights from St. Petersburg to Moscow, and on Mondays and Thursdays to Irkutsk with a convenient connection in Barnaul.
Pulkovo Airport's management company is actively developing flights from St. Petersburg to China. Direct scheduled flights from St. Petersburg are available to Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Xi'an, Urumqi, Nanjing, Wuhan, and Shenzhen, as well as charter flights to Guangzhou and Shanghai.
In December 2016, Pulkovo became the first Russian airport to receive the Welcome Chinese certificate from the China Academy of Tourism.
Source: trn-news.ru