Legal support to Airport Norilsk LLC during the investigation conducted by the Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service: the case was terminated on the grounds that law had not been violated

The lawyers of the antitrust practice have successfully defended Airport Norilsk LLC, a subsidiary of MMC Norilsk Nickel. Airport Norilsk LLC operates the Alykel airport, which is one of the most important transportation hubs in Krasnoyarsk Territory. The Branch of the Federal Antimonopoly Service for the Krasnoyarsk Territory conducted an investigation in connection with a potential abuse of a dominant position, which allegedly took the form of the airport infringing the interests of an airline. It was claimed that the airport had refused, without any grounds for doing so, to approve a number of slots for the summer and winter seasons. Since the airport is a natural monopoly entity, it is not covered by the restrictions on and rules of non-discriminatory access set by legislation. The client managed to prove that the airport’s actions were caused by objective circumstances relating to a large-scale project that involved the reconstruction of the Alykel airport which is of immense social importance for transport communication between Norilsk and neighbouring regions. Following the consideration of the case the Branch of the Federal Antimonopoly Service for the Krasnoyarsk Territory terminated it on the grounds that antimonopoly law had not been violated.