Russia's AviaInvest to invest $350 mln in Kyrgyzstan's Manas Airport
BISHKEK. Feb 21 (Interfax) - Russia's LLC AviaInvest is investing about $350 million in joint projects with Manas International Airport in Kyrgyzstan, the Kyrgyz company's vice president for investment and economic development, Dair Tokobayev said at a press conference on Thursday.
Manas International Airport president Albek Ibraimov and AviaInvest CEO Pyotr Zhardan signed a corresponding agreement on cooperation and investment on February 12.
Under the agreement, the companies will form a joint airline and open a duty-free shopping zone at the Manas airport with an area of up to 20,000 square meters.
The agreement also calls for opening a tourism company based on LLC Manas Troup, the creation of a modern aircraft servicing base for all types of aircraft and the development of the existing Manas Training Center. The agreement runs to 2019.
Tokobayev said that particular attention in cooperation with AviaInvest will be devoted to the creation of the new airline with ten new aircraft that will be able to launch direct flights to cities in Europe and transit flights through Bishkek.
Tokobayev also said that AviaInvest secured a concession for the Chisinau International Airport in 2013 and intends to invest about 250 million euros in its development.
He also said that the government of Kyrgyzstan and Manas International Airport are no longer considering putting the Manas and Osh airports under trust management. Proposals to manage the country's two largest airports have been made by Russia, Chinese and European investment groups.
"However, Kyrgyzstan's airports are strategic facilities, so we need to be very careful about such options. A decision has now been made to develop the facilities on our own and with the attraction of funds for various investment projects," Tokobayev said.