Media reports denied by both companies (170 words)

Published: 8/21/2000

Both sides have roundly dismissed the suggestion in some of the local media in Russia that the Ukrainian state-owned Antonov Airlines and Volga-Dnepr (VD) may be contemplating a merger. The article in daily Kommersant suggested that Isaikin, General Director of VD, had made the suggestion at a recent press conference in Ulyanovsk. Tatyana Kashkina of VD, denied that Isaikin had made the comment and said the airline is expanding its cooperation with Antonov, particularly in the area of aircraft upgrade as they are the largest operators of the An-124-100, but no discussions have taken place regarding a possible merger and there are no intentions to do so, which VD would regard as being impossible given the ownership structure of the two entities. This view was supported by Antonov, Antonov Airlines parent company, which commented that there was growing rapprochement between the two carriers after a period of some tension, but it stopped well short of merger.

Article ID: 2013