Two major airports in Moscow will be combined into a single state-owned entity, renovated and later privatised to boost their performance, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said at government meeting on Monday. "We agreed with the mayor of Moscow, the transport minister and a representative of the Finance Ministry to combine into a single complex Sheremetyevo, 100-percent owned by the government, and Vnukovo airports, where the government holds a 75-percent stake," Putin said.
Sheremetyevo, home to Russia's flagship airline Aeroflot, has fallen behind privately-owned Domodedovo in terms of passenger numbers and is seen as trailing its rival in terms of customer service standards. Domodedovo is also favoured by many international airlines including British Airways, although it was also the scene of a suicide bombing that killed 37 people in January.
The state will pay between 45-50 billion roubles ($1.5-1.7 billion) for the 25 percent in Moscow's oldest and third biggest airport Vnukovo that it does not already own, paying the cash to Moscow's city authorities. Putin said he hoped Moscow, which under new mayor Sergei Sobyanin has been selling various assets to raise funds, would use the cash to invest in metro construction.
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