26
May
2011
Baikal Airport Returns to its Native Land
METROPOL Group finalized the purchase of Baikal
International Airport in Ulan-Ude from the Austrian MAI (Meinl
Airports International) and is ready to start the development of
its newly purchased asset.
First of all, Baikal’s Board of Directors was completely
changed: Deputy General Director of IFC METROPOL Irek Salimov was
appointed the Chairman of the Board of Directors. Chief
Representative of METROPOL in Buryatia Aleksandr Lentsov was
appointed the airport’s General Director. The other members of the
Board of Directors included Bair Tsyrenov (International, Regional
and Public Relations Director of IFC METROPOL) and Boris Danilov
(Director of the Fund for Protection of Lake Baikal). The
Government of Buryat Republic will be represented in the airport’s
Board of Directors by the Ministry for Transport, Power Industry
and Infrastructure Development Sergey Kozlov.
A working group is formed within METROPOL Group to deal with
panning and elaboration of changes to be introduced in the Ulan-Ude
airport in the near future. Although METROPOL is not planning any
significant reconstructions in the airport this year, cosmetic
repairs of the premises, which are already well under way, will be
completed by the 350th anniversary of the voluntary annexation of
Buryatia to Russia (the event will be celebrated in the summer of
2011). According to the design project, the exterior and interior
of the airport terminal building will be dominated by the national
colors of Buryatia: yellow, white and blue. More comfortable
environment will be created for passengers, including new cozy
armchairs, plasma displays, bar counter and free wireless Internet
access in the waiting area. Modern equipment is now being purchased
for the air traffic control service and car park.
“We will make the airport not just clean and good-looking, but also
comfortable,” Head of METROPOL Group Mikhail Slipenchuk comments on
the purchase. “We will change the logistics and passenger flow, and
our plans for the future include reconstruction of the
building.”
Subject to prospective broadening of the Republic’s
international relations with neighboring countries – China,
Mongolia and Japan – and taking into account the growing interest
of the travel industry in the Lake Baikal, an up-to-date airport
meeting international standards is an important element in the
economic development of the Buryat Republic.
Reference:
The Austrian company Meinl Airports International has controlled a
100% share in OJSC Baikal Airport (also known as Mukhino Airport
before rebranding) since September 2007.
