"The decree has been under discussion for a long time, and there were plans to establish a rival to Aeroflot... If a state corporation acts instead of the state, this is more mobile, and decision making will be way simpler," Sergei Chemezov said.
Rostekhnologii was established by a Russian presidential decree in November 2007 on the basis of arms exporter Rosoboronexport's assets to promote the development, production and export of high-tech industrial products.
Five air carriers, namely KrasAir, Samara Airlines, Omskavia, Domodedovo Airlines and Sibaviatrans, will be united into AiRUnion. Their total passenger throughput in 2007 was 3.6 million, which would make AiRUnion Russia's third largest air carrier.
Chemezov said: "We would like AiRUnion to comprise other companies as well. First of all [Boris] Abramovich [the head of AiRUnion and KrasAir] is proposing that a stake acquired by him in Hungarian airline Malev be included. We are proposing a number of assets, including the Rossiya state transport company and a number of other regional air companies."
Earlier, Alexander Misharin, deputy transport minister, said the Rostekhnologii corporation could become the owner of a controlling stake in AiRUnion.
About 40% of stock in KrasAir and Samara, 48.6% in Domodedovo, about 70% in Omskavia and 100% in Sibaviatrans is controlled by brothers, Alexander and Boris Abramovich. The state holds 51% in KrasAir, half in Domodedovo and 46.5% in Samara. The state-held share in AiRUnion, established on a presidential decree, will be no less than 45%.
Earlier it was reported that international auditor Deloitte, at the request of the federal property agency, assessed the state and private assets of the united air carrier at 7.52 billion rubles ($319.32 million), putting the state's share at 4.36 billion rubles ($185.14 million), or 58%.
Private investors disagreed with the Deloitte assessment. And Chemezov requested in January that the president transfer the state's AiRUnion stake to the Rostekhnologii corporation in an attempt to resolve the dispute.
