“In a month we will sign up a consultant”, he said, adding that by the year-end the consultant and the Ministry of Transport will present the government with a Moscow airports development concept and an airports management company blueprint.

The source said that the model will be based on Aeroports de Paris management company. There are no strategy or management company drafts so far, these will be provided by the consultant.

Answering a question from the press whether the concept had been discussed with Domodedovo Airport owners, he said that the airport had given consent to the idea of strategy development by a consultant, and following this stage Domodedovo will decide on whether it is ready to take part. “Everybody is after integration and cooperation”, he said, pointing out that the main goal of the management company is financing infrastructure development.

The source said that a budget of RUB 104,4bn is required for the construction and renovation of runways, aprons, taxi strips etc. The federal development program has allocated a mere RUB 53bn. Apart from that, airport terminals require a further RUB 97bn for development. Vnukovo currently has a surplus of terminal facilities, while Sheremetyevo will lack them after Runway 3 is in place, and will require RUB 37bn to keep up with the new capacity. Domodedovo already faces a lack of capacity and requires RUB 60bn to enhance.

The source also said that road access development expenditure will require RUB 75bn of Moscow money, RUB 75bn of federal money and RUB 25bn of private investment in 2012-2014. Aeroexpress railway track reconstruction is also planned.

“By 2015, we expect a minimum of 1 million takeoffs/landings per year. Airports’ capacity will be 130 million passengers a year”, said the source.

Current carriers in the Moscow Region are Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo and Domodedovo. It has been reported earlier that Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo are in the process of merger, due to be finalized late this year or early next year.

Project Group №6