Co-owner of the airport «Vnukovo» Vitaly Vantsev stated in an interview with RBC that he is ready to invest in «Domodedovo», which was seized for the benefit of the Russian Federation in June of this year. According to him, the financial problems of «Domodedovo» should be solved by a strategic investor, not the state: «The state definitely cannot cover the losses of Domodedovo. It would be too much for the state to allocate billions to cover debts organized by the previous private investor. The state should focus on developing infrastructure, not paying off old debts. Therefore, a strategic investor who can do this needs to be found», he said.
Last week, the new manager of «Domodedovo» stated that the airport is on the verge of bankruptcy: its total debt amounts to 70 billion rubles, and revenues do not cover interest payments.
Vantsev said that he was negotiating with businessman Dmitry Kamenshchik about buying «Domodedovo» or a share of it in winter-spring 2025. Various consolidation options were proposed: buying a share, part of the package, merger. The last contact between them took place on April 16: the businessman made an official offer, which Kamenshchik called «good» and promised to consider, but did not get back in touch. According to Vantsev, Kamenshchik was not satisfied with the price. RBC notes that in terms of passenger traffic volume, Domodedovo and Vnukovo are almost at the same level — 15.6 versus 16.1 million passengers for 2024.
On June 17, a court in the Moscow region satisfied the Prosecutor General's Office's claim for the nationalization of «Domodedovo». According to law enforcement, the airport came under foreign control because its owner Dmitry Kamenshchik and former chairman of the supervisory board Valery Kogan «follow the aggressive policy of Western states».