The company “Avia Invest”, which signed the contract for the concession of the Chisinau International Airport, reacted to the information presented by the Party “Action and Solidarity” (PAS) in a news conference. The company said that to be functional and financially feasible, this model of developing the airport is essential for maintaining the level of airport taxes, including of the modernization tax, IPN reports.
The company said that after the signing of the contract, it took a number of steps to modernize the airport’s infrastructure and these are visible and were felt by everyone. Thus, a new four-story parking lot with a capacity of 800 places was built. The terminal’s building was re-planned and extended on an area of 4,000 square meters. The conditioning, anti-fire and the other systems were fully renewed. There were complemented two baggage processing systems, while the number of call-in desks was increased from 12 to 18, the number of embarking gates - from four to nine, the passenger security checkpoints – from two to four. The number of passport checkpoints on arrival and departure was also raised.
The last interior design renewal works at the airport are being completed. The runway is being reconstructed. The power supply system was modernized. The investment made within the first stage of the broad airport modernization plan significantly exceeds the sum envisioned in the concession contract.
“In this connection, we note that Maia Sandu’s statements are just populist and unfounded assertions. Moreover, we describe these statements as political, which show once again that we are before an election campaign and Maia Sandu uses any possibility of obtaining political benefits. Avia Invest reserves the right to sue those who make such populist statements,” the company says in a press release.
In a news conference on August 11, PAS leader Maia Sandu said the contract to concede the Chisinau International Airport was signed with violations of the legislation. The tender contest was won by the association of legal entities Khabarovsk Airport and Kolomenschii Zavod, but the concession contract was signed with another legal entity - SRL Aviainvest, which didn’t take part in the contest and didn’t prove that it meets the conditions for obtaining such a contract, said the, who noted that this violation is sufficient for invalidating the contract.
According to PAS, the modernization tax of €9 paid by each of those who reach the waiting hall of the airport to leave the country was introduced abusively. The provision by which the Government pledged to maintain it during 49 years is illegal because the Law on Civil Aviation says that this tax is approved by the Ministry of Transport, at the suggestion of the Civil Aviation Authority, not by the Government, at the suggestion of the Ministry of Economy, as it is provided in the Government decision.
