Urgent runway repairs required (170 words)

Published: 9/6/2000

According to local press reports the runway surface of the Perm airport has deteriorated to the point that as of 28th February 2001, it will not be able to receive heavy aircraft and foreign aircraft, and from 1st October, 2001, will not function at night. The problems with the runway according to media reports, largely stem from the financial condition of its owner Perm Airline, whose precarious financial condition has left the unable to fund the $17m to bring the airport back up to scratch. At the beginning of 2000, the airline's accounts payable of 80m rubles amounted to over half of the airline's 1999 revenues. The regional government is now considering a plan to keep the runway operating while a new runway of built at a cost of $40m, which it is believed would payback in 12 years using the revenue from servicing transit cargo aircraft and refuelling with cheaper aviation fuel from local Permnefteorgsyntez.

Article ID: 2060