New Era for Russian Airports: Pulkovo Launches Unmanned Vehicles for the First Time

Pulkovo International Airport in Saint Petersburg will become the first in Russian aviation history to introduce driverless vehicles on its territory. This innovative step is expected to be a significant turning point in the digitalization of airport infrastructure and the increase of operational efficiency. This is reported by Ixbt.com news reports.

According to the management company "Vozdushnie vorota Severnoy stolitsi", the Federation Council of the Russian Federation has supported the law on experimental legal regimes in the field of digital and technological innovations. This legal change removes all legal restrictions on the use of autonomous ground vehicles within the airport territory.

Scope of Innovations and Application Areas

As part of the project, a number of specialized robotic devices will appear on the Pulkovo apron. Their primary tasks are aimed at automating the daily and complex operational processes of the airport. Specifically, the use of unmanned vehicles is planned in the following areas:

• Autonomous baggage tractors for cargo transport;
• Robots designed for cleaning runways;
• Patrol sensors and devices providing 24/7 surveillance of the airport territory.

The introduction of these technologies will not only reduce the human factor but also raise the level of security to a new stage. For example, patrol robots will be able to detect any suspicious activity in the area in real time.

From an economic perspective, autonomous equipment is projected to increase labor productivity by at least 25 percent. According to the management company's calculations, this innovation will allow the airport to save more than 150 million rubles in annual operational costs.

Such an experience could serve as a model for the Uzbekistan aviation market in the future. Currently, while airports in Tashkent and other major cities are being modernized, these digital solutions from international experience will undoubtedly play an important role in improving service quality.

Experts believe that if this experiment at Pulkovo is successful, the implementation of robotic systems in other major Russian airports will accelerate. This, in turn, indicates a further strengthening of the automation trend in the global aviation industry.