Open sky

From November 1, it has become easier to obtain permission to fly over St. Petersburg

The order of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation changes the order of flights over the northern capital from November 1. From now on, permits for flights over the city will be issued not by the Air Force General Headquarters, from which permission could have been waited for months and never received, but by the Smolny Committee on Transport and Transit Policy (KTPP). At altitudes of up to 3,000 meters, to ensure the safety of St. Petersburg residents and the preservation of architectural monuments, it will be possible to fly only over waterways and along the Ring Road (Ring Road). For flights at altitudes above 3,000 meters and around the ring road, a notification system will be in place. The changes, according to officials, should serve as an impetus for the development of small aviation and Pulkovo Airport.

The skies over St. Petersburg have been closed to flights since 1994. When the sound of a helicopter was heard from somewhere within the city limits, St. Petersburg residents immediately wondered if some kind of disaster had happened. Since mainly helicopters from the Ministry of Emergency Situations and law enforcement agencies had the right to fly over the northern capital. Rotorcraft were also occasionally used for aviation work - for example, to install a cross on the Smolny Cathedral or an angel on the spire of the Peter and Paul Cathedral. But even such permissions could not always be obtained from the Air Force General Staff. For example, the aforementioned KTTP wanted to conduct a helicopter overflight of helipads under construction. The military did not give the go-ahead. From a bureaucratic point of view, it was easier for balloons and airships. But they are always hampered by weather conditions. For example, airships cannot be lifted into the air if the wind is above 5 meters per second, and in a city by the sea such winds are considered a rare calm.

Moreover, in March 2010, the Russian government issued a document that delegated to municipal authorities the right to issue permits for aviation work, for the lifting of balloons and airships. At the same time, the specifics of St. Petersburg as a subject of the federation, in which there are 111 municipalities not endowed with either a clear territory or authority, were not taken into account.

The situation became stalemate. Therefore, at one of the last meetings of the committee on legislation of the city parliament, this issue was brought up for discussion. Following the discussion, KTTP, on behalf of the Governor of St. Petersburg, Valentina Matvienko, submitted proposals to the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation to change the aviation status of the northern capital.

As the KTTP explained to Vremya Novostey, they will give permission to explore the St. Petersburg skies to any vehicle and pilot who has all the necessary documents confirming the qualifications of the crews and the serviceability of the aircraft, as well as licenses for the relevant activities of legal entities. For now, small urban aviation primarily means helicopters. At the same time, city officials expect increased interest from private investors in creating aviation infrastructure in the city.

The city authorities have developed an industry-wide scheme for the development and placement of air transport infrastructure facilities in St. Petersburg. The city budget finances the additional equipment of two landing sites with the possibility of their operation day and night in simple and adverse weather conditions - at the Research Institute of Emergency Medicine named after I.I. Dzhanelidze and the First City Children's Hospital. Private investors are given the right to implement commercial projects in the field of small aviation.

According to the industry scheme, the city provides for the construction of three heliports to store about 120 helicopters and 19 landing pads - seven at hospitals equipped to provide emergency medical care, one at the Sea Gate port on Vasilievsky Island, one at the Petersburg sports and concert complex "and the whole network along the Ring Road. So far, there are six departmental helipads in St. Petersburg. In addition, this year the Ambassador Hotel equipped its roof to receive helicopters.

At the moment, the exclusion of the sky of St. Petersburg from the list of no-fly zones is primarily important for the development of Pulkovo Airport, which is being done by the management company “Air Gates of the Northern Capital”. As the head of the St. Petersburg air traffic service center of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "State ATM Corporation" Sergei Kuzmin told Vremya Novostei, in connection with the start of work of the company "Air Gates of the Northern Capital", which took on the development of Pulkovo Airport, by the summer the intensity of flights over the city has significantly increased. will increase. “Until now, the conditions of the restricted zone over St. Petersburg also applied to planes that landed and took off at Pulkovo. Dispatchers desperately needed this space. The restricted flight zone makes it possible to send aircraft there to construct approach maneuvers and set course after takeoff. And this will greatly simplify the work of dispatchers. There is only a lower limit - planes will not be able to fall below 900 meters. But they don't need it. They will fly much higher,” explained Mr. Kuzmin.

According to the KTTP press service, flight permits will be issued only if the aircraft has a secondary location system. It allows dispatchers to monitor all movements in the air. This means that it will be much easier for representatives of the territorial department of Rosaviation to track violators. Violation of the regime will be punished by withdrawal of the license. As for the safety of architectural structures, traffic routes over the city along waterways and the ring road are designed in such a way as not to affect architectural monuments.

Mikhail TELEKHOV, St. Petersburg