OREANDA-NEWS. On 7 February 2008 was announced, that LukoilAero and Gazpromneft-Aero started cooperation on aircraft wing fuelling in Pulkovo international airport (St. Petersburg).

This became possible through acquisition of a 50% stake in Severo-Zapad Fuelling Company (100% subsidiary of Lukoil and LukoilAero) by Gazpromneft-Aero.

Severo-Zapad fuelling company is reported to have acquired a controlling interest in Soveks, a company involved in sales of aviation kerosene in Pulkovo international airport.

Pulkovo Airport is one of the largest ones in Russia. Its passenger traffic exceeded 6 million people in 2007.

Overall consumption of aviation kerosene in Pulkovo international airport comes to around 300 thousand tons annually. Both the centralized fuelling system and fuelling vehicles are used for aircraft fuelling.

Expansion of the aircraft fuelling business is stipulated by the Strategic Development Program of Lukoil Group. It provides for growth of the aviation fuel sales market and creation of a well developed network of own fuelling complexes both in Russian and foreign airports.

LukoilAero is a Lukoil Group company founded in 2004. It supplies aviation kerosene primarily for wing fuelling to over 50 Russian and foreign airports via a network of its own subsidiaries or under agreements with third party fuelling companies.

LukoilAero provides services to over 100 Russian and foreign airlines. The company’s share in the overall aircraft fuel supply to the Russian market reaches 25%.