June 26, 2013, 12:53 / Politics

The State Duma decided to postpone the privatization of Aeroflot

Privatization of the airline was considered “inappropriate at this stage of development of the Russian economy” Ekaterina Sobol Sergei Smirnov

E. Kuzmina / Vedomosti

At a joint meeting of the State Duma committees on transport and economic policy, a decision was made on the inexpediency of privatizing the state stake in the Aeroflot airline . This follows from the draft decision (available to Vedomosti). "Taking into account the dynamic development of the company, its stable financial position, as well as in connection with the regular transfers of large dividends to the federal budget and the development of new domestically produced aircraft, it is inappropriate to consider it inappropriate at this stage of development of the Russian economy to privatize the stake in Aeroflot - Russian Airlines OJSC, located in state ownership," the document says.

The Ministry of Economic Development proposed to privatize the state stake in Aeroflot (51.17%) this year. Back in April, Minister of Economic Development Andrei Belousov expressed confidence that Aeroflot was ready for privatization in 2013. In January, First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said that the government could sell Aeroflot shares to a strategic investor. The privatization plan by 2016 provides for the complete exit of the state from the capital of Aeroflot.

In addition, at the meeting it was decided to recommend that the government consolidate the federal property of the Moscow air hub airports and ensure the construction and commissioning of the third runway at Sheremetyevo Airport by 2015.

Last year, President Vladimir Putin agreed on a scheme to combine the assets of the Moscow air hub. It is proposed to create a single company based on federal property - the ground infrastructure of the Moscow air hub, shares of airport operators, federal budget funds for the development of the air hub, etc. This scheme does not suit Domodedovo: if the Vnukovo and Sheremetyevo terminals are merged with all three airfields, Domodedovo Airport will have to rent an airfield from a competitor - and coordinate the construction of a new runway with it.