On Monday, March 13, 2017 the EUSP hosted a talk delivered by Vladimir Yakushev, CEO of the "Northern Capital Gateway" (VVSS) consortium, which operates the Pulkovo airport. For the Russian aviation sector the consortium is an innovative project of public-private partnership. Yakushev spoke about the aims and objectives of the project, elaborating on its economic aspects in more detail. He also described how the airline business is changing rapidly today and touched upon the challenges encountered in that area.
For instance, he explained why it is difficult to launch new flight destinations or to attract low-cost airlines.
EUSP students and faculty bombarded the speaker with questions ranging from "why it is so expensive to fly from Pulkovo" to financial issues (hedging the currency risks and future perspectives of the airport). It was impossible to answer all questions given the format of the lecture. Therefore, the CEO of St. Petersburg's "Northern Gateway" invited the students to work together to optimize this project which is so important for the city. "There are lots of questions and processes. You should graduate and come to us!".
Author: Maxim Radomski, 1st-year student, Department of Economics