A Russian private investment fond – “BasEl” has almost completely purchased the international airport of Sochi at about 206.6 million USD. This is the airport, when on May 3 of this year, Armenian A-320 airport crashed on the way, in the result of which 113 people died on board. Based on the July 3 government decision the airport of Sochi was included in the list of to-be privatized companies of 2006. According to “Ria Novosti” the owner of the recently purchased airport is the director of “BasEl”, Oleg Deripaska, who’s one of the richest men of Russia. He also controls the “Russian Aluminum” (RUSAL). Let’s recall that Sochi, along with the Austrian Salzburg and South Korean Piong Chang cities is planning to host the winter Olympic Games of 2014. In 1998 and 2002 Sochi has also tried to host Olympic Games but was rejected because of its poor Soviet-era infrastructures.
