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Aug 20, 2019 (newstodate): Moldova's only international airport, Chisinau Airport has found a new owner - NR Investments Ltd, based at Guernsey, the UK.
NR Investments has acquired 95 percent of the concession company of Chisinau International Airport under an agreement ratified on August 19, 2019, between it current owner Russia's Avia Invest LLC and NR Investments' sole beneficiary, Nat Rothschild, today, 19 August.
In 2013, the state of Moldova opened a tender to attract international investors capable of undertaking the construction of a new passenger terminal, reconstruction of the runway, new taxiways, a new cargo terminals, an airport hotel and parking facilities.
The tender was won by Avia-Invest that since invested significantly in the modernization and expansion of the airport.
But a corruption case soon flared up involving three banks and the key owner behind Avia-Invest, forcing the Moldovan state to investigate the money flows behind the transaction to see if the concession was granted on a legal basis.
Still, Avia Invest has also successfully marketed the airport, attracting new full-service and low-cost carriers.
Today, 16 airlines are operating at Chisinau Airport, offering flights to 38 destinations including London, Dublin, Paris, Istanbul and Moscow.
In 2018, Chisinau International Airport handled 2.8 million passengers, and estimates to be handling more than three mio passengers in 2019