PROCEDURE OF "ZVATNOTS" AIRPORT TRANSFER TO MANAGEMENT TO ARGENTINE BUSINESSMAN EDUARDO ERNEKIAN MIGHT BE POSTPONED TO NEXT WEEK

PanARMENIAN.Net - Tomorrow Argentine businessman Eduardo Ernekian will arrive in Yerevan to complete the process of "Zvartnots" airport's transfer to the management of the "Aeropuertos Arkhentina 2000" company led by him. But as "De-Facto" agency reports with reference to justice minister's press secretary Ara Saghatelian, this procedure, probably, will be postponed to next week because of several technical and legal problems. It should be noted that yesterday the Armenian parliament passed the bill on aviation regulating the process of the transfer of the airport with the second reading. The Armenian government-Eduardo Ernekian agreement had been introduced in the parliament at requests of deputies the day before. It should be reminded the "Aeroportus Arkhentina 2000" has undertaken to invest $80 mln to the airport's development for 40 years, at that, about $50 mln will be invested during the first five years. The deal stipulates neither the selling nor privatizing of the airport. The Argentineans are going to repair the landing strip, to build a new terminal to serve five flights at the same time instead of the old one built in 60-s. The zone of rest and free trade will be created in the airport's territory. Eduardo Ernekian has informed that the volume of flights will increase annually until 2014. The company planes to achieve the profitability level in 12-13 years. According to Armenian justice minister David Arutyunian, Eduardo Ernekian, controlling 33 airports in Argentina (with 90% of flights in the country), now shows interest in privatizing of the "Armenian airlines" company.