Pulkovo Upgrades Its Baggage Handling System
Passengers’ bags at St. Petersburg’s airport are now processed using Russian-developed IT solutions. The transition was completed without interrupting airport operations.
By November 9, 2026, Pulkovo Airport and Reksoft had completed the main phase of an upgrade to the airport’s automated baggage handling system. This was more than a cosmetic refresh: the control software was replaced across the system that moves bags from check-in counters to aircraft loading, including conveyors, sorting equipment and screening systems.
The upgrade drew on three Russian software products: Reksoft SAC manages baggage sorting and routing; Reksoft SCADA monitors system operations and equipment; and Reksoft AMG handles airport messaging. Workstations were also migrated to Russian-made Nerpa computers running the RED OS operating system.
The project is significant because critical infrastructure at a major operating airport is now managed by domestically developed software. The new system can identify service issues before they lead to disruptions. Most of the installation work was carried out overnight to avoid interfering with airport operations.
Another new feature is a baggage handling system for passengers connecting to international flights. It includes dedicated check-in and screening areas, additional sorting lines, and separate data collection for passengers and their bags at customs stations. This part of the system is still undergoing operational testing.
Market Opportunities and Export Potential
The main opportunity lies in deploying the system at other Russian airports. Reksoft has already installed similar solutions in Moscow at Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo, integrating Russian software with equipment supplied by international manufacturers Vanderlande and Beumer. This is a key advantage for the developer: airports do not need to replace expensive mechanical equipment to switch to Russian software. The most promising customers are major hubs and regional airports undergoing modernization, although each project must be adapted to the specific facility.
Further development could include automating baggage transfers, predictive equipment diagnostics, intelligent baggage routing and robotic ground handling. The groundwork is already being laid. In spring 2026, Pulkovo and Cognitive Pilot announced plans to introduce autonomous baggage tractors, although these have not yet been technically integrated with Reksoft’s system.
There is also export potential. Opportunities include software sales, modernization services and turnkey airport automation projects in markets across the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
How the System Took Shape
The transition away from imported software took several years. In August 2023, Domodedovo became the first major airport to launch a baggage handling system controlled by software developed by Reksoft. The software operated equipment supplied by Dutch manufacturer Vanderlande. This established a precedent for replacing control software without removing foreign-made hardware.
In June 2023, Pulkovo moved its passenger check-in operations from SITA to the Russian AIST platform. In April 2024, it announced plans to introduce a new baggage handling system. That transition has now been completed.
In July 2024, Russian-developed baggage sorting software went into operation in Terminal D at Sheremetyevo. In June 2026, the airport also completed the replacement of the control system for its interterminal transfer-baggage transport system, moving away from the imported system used to control Beumer equipment. Around the same time, Vnukovo reported that it had switched to Reksoft solutions following two years of technical work. By November 2026, all of Russia’s largest aviation hubs had moved to domestic software for baggage handling.
Now Comes the Real-World Test
Pulkovo has demonstrated that the control software of a complex industrial system can be replaced at an operating airport. The project is evidence that Russia’s effort to replace imported technology across its aviation infrastructure has reached a new level of maturity. In the coming years, the transfer-baggage system is expected to move into regular operation, Reksoft’s solutions could be deployed at more regional airports, and further work is likely to focus on analytics and integration with autonomous ground-handling systems.
The biggest test, however, still lies ahead: Russia is preparing for its first full summer operating season with domestically developed control software. With passenger traffic reaching 6.34 million during the previous summer season alone, this will be a major test of the system’s reliability. If it performs well, the results could strengthen the case for wider adoption in Russia and support export negotiations.
