The first flight from St. Petersburg to the new Gelendzhik Airport is preparing for departure

There are only a few hours left until the moment that will open up new opportunities for all residents of St. Petersburg. On August 3, the first UT 291 flight will depart for the new Gelendzhik Airport.

The tickets were sold out in the first few minutes. Maxim Oblender, a correspondent of Izvestia, became one of those who were lucky.

"I didn't know it was the first flight, to be honest. I've looked before, but there were no direct ones. I was lucky," said Ekaterina Butylina, a passenger.

Previously, it was necessary to travel to Gelendzhik from St. Petersburg by car for more than a day. Or first to Novorossiysk by train, and from there by bus. Now it's 1,788 km in 4 hours and 55 minutes.

"The airport has been opened, it is the most beautiful. We'll watch it live today. We are very glad that there is such an opportunity to fly to St. Petersburg," said passenger Vasily Lovlin.

A surprise awaits those departing from St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport: the 14th passenger will be presented with a pleasant gift in honor of Russia's longest 14-kilometer embankment, which is located in Gelendzhik.

Gelendzhik airport has opened: how will it affect the growth of tourist flow

Demand for air tickets to the seaside is growing amid news about the opening of the airport in Gelendzhik

The new Gelendzhik Airport received its first flight from Moscow on July 18. The flight was performed on an aircraft in the Gzhel livery. The aircraft received this coloring in 2018, it was timed to coincide with the 95th anniversary of Aeroflot. The opening of the airport in Gelendzhik caused a stir among tourists, tickets for the first and next flights were sold out after the start of sales.

The governor of the Krasnodar Territory, Veniamin Kondratiev, said that Gelendzhik Airport will be able to increase passenger traffic at least twice in 2026. He noted that the passengers who arrived on the first flight from Moscow expressed positive emotions from the flight and their meeting at the airport.

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