Investments with Vantsev: has the aviation industry become an entrepreneur’s “bargaining chip”?
Recently, against the backdrop of the uncertainty that is already developing due to sanctions and the geopolitical situation, Vitaly Vantsev, co-owner of Vnukovo and Azimuth airlines, spoke about airfare prices, saying that their cost within Russia will soon increase by 15-20 percent, and for international ones – in general at 40.
He was immediately “pulled down” by the Federal Antimonopoly Service, which saw in the entrepreneur’s words “an incentive to act to raise prices by economic entities operating in the market for the sale of air tickets and air transportation.”
Of course, as a business owner, Vantsev is primarily interested in profit. There is a possibility that in conditions of reduced passenger traffic, he decided to cause a rush to buy tickets with such speeches. At the same time, the biography of this figure and his business indicate that he could have other motives.
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This is not the first such speech by Vantsev – in 2021 he also predicted an increase in the cost of air travel. True, then the FAS ignored these words.
In general, Vantsev likes to complain – this year he announced the expected significant loss of passenger traffic. And recently he gave a detailed interview to RBC, riddled with despair over the lack of transit passengers at Moscow airports, idle capacities and drone attacks, on which Vantsev, apparently, decided to blame all the company’s failures. At the same time, the manager himself is far from being ideal.
Vnukovo, for example, in 2008 was sued by Domodedovo airport for almost a billion rubles. Thus, he tried to achieve payment of the debt of the airlines of the bankrupt AiRUnion aviation alliance, for which Vnukovo acted as a guarantor.
Failed criminal case
In 2012, Vitaly Vantsev himself was already on the verge of a criminal case in connection with the misappropriation of 1.6 billion budget funds, which the city government issued in 2008 as budget subsidies to the Atlant-Soyuz airline. Vantsev at that time was a member of the company’s management and allegedly was in that group of people who spent money for other purposes, but to cover debts.
How – is unknown, but the case was avoided. Even despite the fact that attempts to save the airline by the Moscow government were unsuccessful and it was subsequently declared bankrupt with billions of dollars in debt to the Moscow government and other creditors.
Vantsev calmly continued to work at Vnukovo. In 2016, Vnukovo’s largest creditor, the Bank of Moscow, was forced to apply to the government with a proposal to restructure the airport’s debt. Interfax wrote about it. Even before that, the deadlines for paying interest at the request of Vnukovo were repeatedly postponed.
There is not much business
At the same time, Vantsev is not at all shy about doing business on the territory of Vnukovo – the Av Holding company, in which he has almost 25% of his shares, for example, invests in securities. Apparently, he is not very successful in his work – the shares of the founders are pledged by the state-owned Sberbank. That is, Vantsev, not only does he postpone payments for airport debts, he also runs his own business with state money! It is clear then where the problems at the airport come from. His boss seems to be busy with other things. Is he going to replenish the “treasury” at the expense of consumers?
By the way, the stock market is very sensitive to the statements of big businessmen. It is possible that in his own words, including about price increases and problems in the industry, Vantsev is “winning back” on shares. For example, after his last words, which provoked a strong reaction from the FAS, Aeroflot shares rose by more than 4% within a few days. Apparently, the rush demand for the purchase of tickets at even more or less adequate prices has affected?

Photo: https://www.tinkoff.ru/invest/stocks/AFLT/
All for one
It is worth noting that Vantsev should own about 13.5% in Vnukovo, another 25% – from the state Federal Property Management Agency, and the remaining shares from Vladimir Skoch. This is the father of the deputy Andrei Skoch, whose name allegedly appears in the Panama dossier – there are eight companies on this list.
Andrei Skoch is considered a billionaire – from the Forbes article about the arrest of the Airbus A319-100, we know that he has a private plane. Skoch also allegedly owns the 99-meter yacht Madame Gu. With what money all this was bought, I think, there is no need to explain.
As for the financial situation of Vnukovo, to which the state provides significant state support – in 2020 the airport expected to receive about 1 billion rubles – it clearly leaves much to be desired.
According to the results of the first half of 2020, Vantsev himself estimated the airport’s loss at the level of 1.3-1.5 billion rubles. In 2021, apparently thanks to this subsidy, the company’s profit increased by 2.3 billion rubles. But the joy did not last long – the figures for 2022 show losses compared to the previous period in the amount of almost two billion.
And it would be possible to blame everything on a pandemic, NWO, air travel restrictions, if not for one “but”. Before the aviation industry really began to need state support due to all these factors, Vnukovo’s profits in rare years came out at least in plus. And revenue until 2016 fluctuated around several hundred million rubles.
On the other hand, the graph of revenue and profit of the Vantsevo airline “Azimut” is steadily moving up. Is it not there that part of the state subsidies allocated to Vnukovo by the state goes?

Photo: Rusprofile
By the way, Vantsev’s Av Holding was registered offshore until 2019. Foreign founders also appeared in other companies of Vantsev – ANK Trading House, Mavholding and Elling. Can money flow abroad?
In the bottom line, we see: Vantsev, who almost became a defendant in a criminal case due to the distribution of subsidies, continues to beg and receive them, in fact, replacing one state asset with another. Money, apparently, continues to be spent inefficiently. At the same time, the state-owned Sberbank also lends to personal businesses. hzikhidtidekrt manager.
Vantsev knows how to make money at the expense of the state. Now he decided to politely warn that he is going to go even deeper into the pocket of airline consumers?