‘In case Koltsovo airport of Yekaterinburg does have an increase in rent, the carriers aren’t likely to feel it. Airlines only use 30 or 40 square meters of the airport’s premises, so even if Rosimuschestvo does increase the interest rates for the airport, the latter won’t charge the carriers much more, and the plane tickets won’t grow much more expensive. And, anyway, the Federal Antimonopoly Service has already determined the airport’s prices for this year,’ says Vasiliy Kovalev, the director of Transaero’s Ural branch.

In the meantime, Rosimuschestvo filed a complaint with Sverdlovsk Region Court of Arbitration regarding the need to cancel its renting agreement with Koltsovo airport. The premises in question include the state-owned runways and other objects.

‘As for the possible renting of the airport’s premises by a third party, this does not seem to be very likely, since Koltsovo airport is the only licensed entity allowed to run the airport at the moment. I don’t believe the government is interested in such an outcome, either,’ Mr. Kovalev said.