Boris and Alexander Abramovich will proceed with their brothers' business without the routes and jets of AiRUnion.
Photo: Valery Levitin
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The Flight Weather
The collapse of AiRUnion resulted in the biggest consolidation of Russia's aircraft assets. Based on AiRUnion and on the assets of a few other airlines, government-run Rostekhnologii is creating a new air carrier that will be by third bigger than Aeroflot. The private holders of AiRUnion will lose their assets, as Rostekhnologii teams up with the government of Moscow and authorities of the Krasnoyarsk district in this ambitious undertaking.
During the yesterday's meeting in Astrakhan (where PM Vladimir Putin is on a working visit now), the RF Transport Minister Igor Levitin announced that the solution for the AiRUnion problems had been ultimately found. "We have chosen the action plan and are ready to report it and set to implementing it after the approval," Levitin told Vladimir Putin, specifying that the matter at stake was the acceptance of new members to the alliance. The minister didn't name those members for some reason but promised that the crisis with the flights delay would be sorted out during a week.
AiRUnion emerged in 2005 on the assets of KrasAir, Domodedovo Airlines (DAL), Samara, Omskavia and Sibaviatrans. The 2007 traffic was 3.1 million passengers, which made the union the fifth in the country in that indicator. The government owns majority stakes in KrasAir and DAL and 46.5 percent in Samara, but it will transfer them to Rostekhnologii. The remaining stocks belong to a group of private holders headed by brothers Boris and Alexander Abramovich.
People in Rostekhnologii provided details clarifying the promise of the transport minister. Rostekhnologii is creating new airlines together with the government of Moscow and authorities of the Krasnoyarsk district. It will be based on the routes and fleets of Atlant-Soyuz that is controlled by Moscow, AiRUnion, GTK Rossia, Kavminvodyavia, Orenburg Airlines, Saratov Airlines and Vladivostok Avia, while Vnukovo (which is also under Moscow control) and Krasnoyarsk Emelyanovo will be its airports.
Given that the 2007 consolidated performance of above airlines reached 10.4 million passengers, the new giant will be by third larger than Aeroflot. Rostekhnologii will own the majority stake, while the size of the stakes of Moscow and Krasnoyarsk are yet unclear. The airlines will be consolidated around Atlant-Soyuz and the potential CEO of new venture is Vitaly Vantsev, CEO of Vnukovo International Airport and spokesman of private holders of Vnukovo. The sources say direct support of the government will reach 20 billion ruble to be spent to pay debts of AiRUnion.
Vantsev denied he would head the united airlines but confirmed his active participation in its establishment.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Sep. 05, 2008
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