Russia is planning to tighten its grip on flagship airline Aeroflot by taking control of a 25.8 percent stake owned by tycoon Alexander Lebedev, ridding the carrier of a major independent shareholder, Reuters reported.
Aeroflot said it could strike a deal with Lebedev to buy his stake. The tycoon has repeatedly criticised the firm's management for the lack of cost control measures and insisted on buying and leasing more foreign planes.
Lebedev's stake could be then used to pay the government for new, as yet unidentified, aviation assets to be merged with Aeroflot ¨C Russia's biggest airline, but still a shadow of the mighty firm under the same name during the Soviet times.
The move would increase government ownership of Aeroflot to around 75 percent and might give more incentives to the state to bring aviation assets -- spun off from Aeroflot after the collapse of the Soviet union ¨C back under its control. |
