An Airbus 310-300, owned by Novosibirsk-based S7, formerly Sibir, crashed early Sunday killing at least 124 people. It veered off the runway upon landing, hit a concrete wall and then plowed into private garages before it burst into flames.
"If the buildings have been appropriated illegally, we will ask the Prosecutor's General Office to transfer the property to the airport's ownership," said Igor Levitin, who is also heading a commission investigating the accident. "If they were built legally, the owners will be offered funds from the federal, regional or municipal budgets to knock them down."
The minister pledged to back a proposal to extend the runway by 400 meters away from the city and added that the airport could be privatized after being removed from the list of strategic facilities.
"Under the proposal, which was submitted to the government before the tragedy, facilities banned from privatization, such as the runway and apron taxiway, will remain in state ownership, whereas terminals and other facilities could be privatized and put up for sale," Levitin said.
