The Competition Council decided to impose a fine of over 31 million lei on Avia Invest SRL, which serves the Chisinau International Airport, owing to the non-execution by the company of a decision dating from 2020, which implies the fulfillment of particular obligations, IPN reports.
Competition Council president Alexei Ghertsescu in a press beefing said that in 2020 the Competition Council adopted a decision specifying the anti-competition practices identified at Avia Invest SRL.
“There were identified two things: the fact that Avia Invest imposed particular inequitable and unjustified conditions as regards the periods of validity of the lease for handling companies providing services at the airport, with MGH Grandhandling being primarily disfavored. There was also determined the differentiated application of tariffs for leasing services,” stated Alexei Ghertsescu.
According to him, in 2020 Avia Invest was fined over 31 million lei by that decision, but the decision was challenged in court and the case is still being examined. The violations identified by the Competition Council then were to be removed by Avia Invest SRL by the end of 2020, but nothing was done.
“That decision provided that if the obligation stipulated in the previous decision wasn’t fulfilled, Avia Invest would face a combined fine. As Avia Invest fulfilled this obligation only in a year, at the end of 2021, the Competition Council initiated additional proceedings over the non-fulfillment of those obligations. The fine was paid at the end of 2021. So, the obligation ascertained by the Competition Council hadn’t been fulfilled for a year. Respectively, the fine for this year was calculated at over 31 million lei,” explained Alexei Ghertescu.
The Competition Council’s decision was transmitted to Avia Invest SRL, which can challenge it in court.
