Together with the return of the Chisinau International Airport under state ownership, the new administration ascertained the absence of investments in the airport’s infrastructure and security equipment and also in strategic power supply sources. Constantin Vozian, deputy manager of the Chisinau International Airport, said that a technical inspection of the infrastructure facilities will be conducted to see what works need to be executed in the near future, IPN reports.
As to the luxury cars bought when the airport was under concession, Constantin Vozian said that these were transferred under the management of the state-run enterprise and an armored vehicle is among these. Some of these cars were used strictly for personal purposes and this can be confirmed by the airport’s employees.
“The state, in principle, didn’t take over anything. The state took over only problems. It took over an airport that has duty-free shops, restaurants, a façade and garlands and does not have a proper runway, cables, escalators and parking places. After ten years under concession, the airport could have looked differently,” said the deputy manager of the airport.
Constantin Vozian noted that the airport’s VIP Hall needs to be opened as swiftly as possible as it yields significant revenues. This hall was closed following the large number of bomb hoaxes. The luxury cars will be used to transport passengers from the plane to the VIP terminal as these services are also a source of income for the enterprise.
The operations and management of the Chisinau International Airport were transferred to the concessionaire Avia Invest in November 2013, under a private-public partnership. Avia Invest undertook to manage the airport during 49 years and to invest €250 million in its modernization. But the company was accused of not fulfilling its obligations and of not respecting the investment plan and the concession contract was therefore terminated. Last November, the Chisinau Appeals Court decided that the Chisinau International Airport will return under state management. On March 28, 2023, the procedures for transmitting the airport that was managed by SRL Avia Invest were completed.
