Samara and AeroVolga finally get hitched after government objections overcome

Published: 2/14/2000

The long-expected merger between Aero-Volga and Samara Airlines was finally completed on 9th February 2000, after three years of negotiation. Samara Airlines' management will head up the new company and take two Tu-154Ms from struggling AeroVolga's fleet of five aircraft. The merger will combine the management team in a single head office, that of Aero-Volga in Samara, although there are to be no redundancies from Aero-Volga's 150 workforce. The completion of the merger suggests that the regional property fund's concerns, as a 51% shareholder in Samara, that the merger would dilute the government's shareholding and so undermine the position of Samara Airlines as a strategic holding, have been overcome. According to the VolgaInform Agency, Samara Airlines carried over 32,000 revenue passengers in January 2000: an increase -unspecified- over the same period in 1999. The number of flights increased by 7% over the period, compared to January 1998. This performance is against a backdrop of heavy snowstorms and blizzards, during which 90% of flights operated. Samara Airlines claims that almost all delays occurred as a result of other airlines and airports. Samara Airport itself only closed for a few hours on 31st January. Associated articles: www.concise.org 21st October 1999

Article ID: 1415