Moscow Court of Arbitration rejected the claims laid by Koltsovo Airport of Yekaterinburg and ruled in favor of the Federal Antimonopoly Service’s decision.

The Service declared on September 19, 2008 that the airport had violated Article 10 of the federal bill on the protection of competition (namely, the ban on abuse of dominance) by avoiding signing an agreement with no ground for it. Since the airport was willing to eliminate this violation, no orders were issued, but it was still possible to take legal action, with the administrative charge laid on the basis of Article 14.31 of the Russian Federation Administrative Offence Code.

The Service initiated a lawsuit upon the application placed by Siberia Airlines (which found itself unable to sign a contract providing for the ground handling of its aircraft in Yekaterinburg’s airport).

Koltsovo Airport is a natural monopoly and therefore dominates Yekaterinburg’s airport market, so by trying to avoid the signing of the contract it violates the legislation on the protection of competition and infringes on the airlines’ interests.

The airport took the case to Moscow Court of Arbitration, but the latter fully agreed with the Federal Antimonopoly Service’s ruling.