Pulkovo customs officers recorded a twofold increase in international passenger traffic during the New Year

For ten days of January 2024, 60 thousand passengers of 338 international flights crossed the customs border at Pulkovo Airport, which is twice as much as last year.

 The most popular was the Turkish destination: almost 11 thousand tourists flew to Istanbul and Antalya. 7 thousand travelers chose the resorts of the United Arab Emirates for New Year’s rest, 5 thousand spent their vacations on the beaches of the Red Sea in Egypt. Passenger traffic to Central Asian countries is comparable to traditional resort destinations: 7.3 and 4.5 thousand people went to visit relatives and admire the nature of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan respectively. On the recently opened route St. Petersburg – Colombo one flight with 333 air passengers on board was made during the holidays

During the New Year vacations, Pulkovo customs officers stopped 19 attempts to violate customs rules

There were 15 air passengers who forgot to declare large amounts of cash currency. Customs officers recorded such violations more often on departure – 9 cases against 6 for arrivals. The total amount of illegally transported currency exceeds 200,000 U.S. dollars

Three travelers returning from vacation violated the ban on importing tobacco products for personal use, and one tourist brought 6 liters of strong drinks as a souvenir from Georgia

– Tens of thousands of residents of the region went to visit relatives and see distant countries during the New Year vacations. It’s important to note that along with the increase in passenger traffic, the discipline of travelers is growing. During the holidays the staff of the post made decisions on the release of goods on 230 passenger customs declarations, which is 37% more than the same indicator of the last year. In addition to the traditional submission of passenger customs declaration in paper form, passengers actively use the possibility of filling out and submitting the declaration electronically through the application of the Federal Customs Service. Air passengers declared large amounts of cash currency, jewelry and expensive goods for personal use, – commented Anatoly Timoshchenkov, Head of Pulkovo Customs