On Friday, September 29, the court sent them to house arrest. As the press secretary of the Basmanny Court clarified to Gazeta.Ru, Panteleeva and Korchnev were assigned a preventive measure in the form of house arrest until November 25.
After massive delays and cancellations of VIM-Avia flights, a criminal case was opened against them under Part 4 of Art. 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“fraud”).
Meanwhile, the co-owners of the VIM-Avia airline and Svetlana Mursekaev have left the country and may be put on the international wanted list.
The problem with VIM-Avia flights began last week. On Monday, September 25, the airline announced that it was ceasing charter flights due to financial difficulties. refused to service the planes of the troubled carrier due to debts, and as of Tuesday VIM-avia relocated to.
The Ministry of Transport has created an operational headquarters to solve problems with the transportation of passengers who have already paid for VIM-Avia tickets, pay off wage arrears for the carrier’s employees and resolve the crisis situation. The Prime Minister signed an order on Thursday to allocate 98 million rubles. from the government reserve fund for the maintenance of VIM-Avia aircraft.
To transport VIM-Avia passengers abroad, primarily in Turkey, S7 and .
On Friday it was announced that, on behalf of President Vladimir Putin, two Tu-214s of the special flight detachment "Russia", serving the top officials of the state, were sent to Antalya to transport Russian tourists.
Some tour operators independently take measures to remove their clients from vacation spots.
Due to the current crisis situation, I signed a decree on disciplinary action against the head.
Since Friday, the Federal Air Transport Agency has been publishing on its website the daily flight schedule of regular and charter flights of VIM-Avia.
A repayment schedule for existing debts for fuel and airport services is currently being agreed upon. The new management of the company is cooperating with law enforcement agencies of the Russian Federation, the company assures.
In the footsteps of Transaero
On Friday, Alexander was appointed the new general director of VIM-Avia. According to a representative of VIM-Avia, he was appointed “to resolve the crisis situation that has developed in the airline.”
Alexander Burdin was the general director of AK for almost two years, which he headed after the carrier stopped operating. He managed to pay off wage debts in the amount of 4.1 billion rubles. in front of 10 thousand former employees, complete the inventory of fixed assets and collect the airline’s property to ensure payments to creditors. Before that, for two years he headed Unitile, the largest holding company in Russia for the production of ceramic building materials, and for 11 years he was deputy general director and member of the board.
At the same time, Gazeta.Ru reported that they had not received a notification from VIM-Avia about the appointment of a new general director.
According to current legislation, its appointment is accompanied by appropriate certification and inclusion in the operator’s certificate. The department said that Burdin is not currently listed there.
“We know Alexander Burdin from the situation with the Transaero airline, to which he was also appointed with the wording “to resolve a crisis situation.” As you know, Transaero was declared bankrupt in September. This specialist is unknown to the aviation community. We’ll get to know each other,” said a representative of the Federal Air Transport Agency
The executive director of the industry agency AviaPort says that Burdin is a qualified financier with extensive experience in crisis management.
“Indeed, his work in his position at Transaero at a time when the company was no longer an airline, but a legal entity with dubious prospects, was effective, he demonstrated high results, satisfying the maximum part of the claims, first of all, paying salaries,” - the expert explained.
When asked by Gazeta.Ru to comment on Burdin’s appointment, the head of the Transport and Construction Committee said that the main thing is that the personnel decisions made benefit passengers.
However, analysts do not expect any feats from the new CEO.
If two weeks ago the airline was in the hands of management and they made decisions, now the fate of VIM-Avia is in the hands of creditors and suppliers, Panteleev notes.
“If they decide that the restoration or continuation of the operating activities of VIM-Avia will reduce the debt in some future, then the carrier, under the leadership of an experienced manager, will be able to fulfill its obligations, the anti-crisis transformation program and return to life, but if a decision is made to fix losses, then no manager will help, but only a bag of money will help,” the expert sums up.
ShareEmin Jafarov / Kommersant
Two top managers of bankrupt airline arrested
The general director and chief accountant of VIM-Avia, Alexander Kochnev and Ekaterina Panteleeva, accused of fraud, were placed under house arrest, to which they did not particularly object. At the same time, Kochnev asked to be given the opportunity to fulfill the company’s obligations to passengers. The head of the Federal Air Transport Agency, Alexander Neradko, was questioned in the case as a witness.
Petitions from Investigative Committee investigators to place Alexander Kochnev and Ekaterina Panteleeva under house arrest were considered in different halls of the Basmanny Court. From the documents read out during the meeting, it followed that on September 23, the investigator received a report from FSB officers, which spoke about fraud at the airline. Two days later, on its basis, a criminal case was opened for fraud on an especially large scale (Part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code) against unidentified managers of VIM-Avia; two days later, Messrs. Kochnev and Panteleeva were interrogated as witnesses, and then the accused.
According to investigators, the airline's managers, knowing that VIM-Avia was unable to fulfill its obligations to clients, continued to sell them air tickets, and in addition, transferred the company's assets to shell companies and abroad. The damage in the case has not yet been calculated, but, according to preliminary data, it could amount to hundreds of millions of rubles - the company’s debts are estimated at 7 billion rubles.
“Kochnev made management decisions related to the crime,” the investigator said, requesting to place the accused under house arrest. According to him, “due to his official position,” the accused can put pressure on other persons involved in the investigation and escape.
A representative of the Investigative Committee said that active investigative actions are now being carried out in the case: financial documents of VIM-Avia are being seized and witnesses are being questioned. Among the latter was the head of the Federal Air Transport Agency, Alexander Neradko.
The investigation expects to increase the number of persons involved in the investigation. In the near future, among them will be the co-owners of VIM-Avia, spouses Rashid and Svetlana Mursekaev. On the day the criminal case was opened, they managed to fly abroad, so they will be charged in absentia. The arrests of entrepreneurs, who are soon planned to be put on the international wanted list, will also be in absentia.
The investigator was supported by the prosecutor, who said that only house arrests would contribute to an objective investigation against Kochnev and Panteleeva.
In general, the defendants were not against being at home and not in a pre-trial detention center. “I don’t mind house arrest,” Panteleeva said. The general director of VIM-Avia timidly asked to be allowed to go for walks and visit the doctor because he suffers from diabetes. According to the businessman, if they restrict him to a written undertaking not to leave, he will be able to take certain measures to ensure that the airline fulfills its obligations to passengers.
Kochnev’s lawyer, in turn, said that the investigation did not provide any convincing evidence that the Mursekaevs fled the country and their obligations. At the same time, he cited a whole list of violations committed during the investigation. For example, the arrest of the general director of VIM-Avia was issued only after he had spent ten hours in the building of the Investigative Committee.
The VIM-Avia team (the airline employs about 1 thousand people) also opposed the arrests of its leaders, whose representatives were ready to vouch for them. “Kochnev led the company during a difficult period of economic crisis. Under his leadership, VIM-Avia not only maintained its position in the air transportation market, but was also able to become one of the ten largest Russian airlines,” the statement noted.
However, the court decided that crisis management of VIM-Avia could be carried out without its top managers. Kochnev and Panteleeva were placed under house arrest until November 25. At the same time, they are prohibited from leaving their homes, using any means of communication, except in emergency situations, and can communicate only with close relatives, defense lawyers, investigators and employees of the Federal Penitentiary Service. The latter will soon put electronic bracelets on the accused to monitor their movements. Kochnev will remain under investigation in his apartment in Solovyiny Proezd. The court refused to allow him to take walks, but allowed him to visit doctors, notifying the investigator in advance.
Replenishment of an airline's fleet is always a great event, AK has an increase in passengers, the airport is busier, passengers have more comfort, directions, flying on a new type of aircraft (although many of them probably don’t think about it), and photographers have a new object of hunt.
On February 17, another joyful event took place in the history of VIM-AVIA and Domodedovo Airport - a new type of aircraft Airbus A330-200 was handed over in a solemn ceremony.
The event turned out great in terms of brightness and emotions. Steadfastly enduring the Moscow cold weather, Vim-Avia flight attendants participated in a photo shoot with both the A330 model and the hero of the occasion. 
The guys, judging by their smiles and emotions, did not notice the cold and happily helped us, responding to our “look there”, “look here”, “.. into the lens” 
The event was attended by representatives of VIM-AVIA, Airbus, and Domodedovo Airport.
In the photo: Elena Fedorova, Director of Public Relations of VIM-AVIA, General Director of VIM-AVIA Alexander Yakovlevich Kochnev and Vadim Marusov, Regional Director for Business Development in Russia and the Republic of Belarus.
Alexander Yakovlevich said that already having Airbus aircraft in the fleet, in particular the A319, which have shown themselves to be excellent, VIM-AVIA is pleased to receive an addition to the A330, another milestone in cooperation with Airbus and a new stage in the development of AK. In 2017, VIM-AVIA will celebrate its 15th anniversary and plan to double its air fleet, this will happen mainly due to wide-body aircraft. Thanks to this, AK’s route network will also actively develop in the segment of long-haul routes.
And Vadim Marusov wholeheartedly welcomed the new A330 operator and expressed confidence that VIM-AVIA, as a successful and efficient A319 operator, will fully appreciate the benefits of unifying the Airbus aircraft families. 
PIC appreciated the replenishment 
Well done guys, thank you very much. 
It’s a pleasure to fly with such flight attendants, if you fly with them, say hello from us)
Look with what warmth they look at their newcomer, soon they will have to accompany him in the sky. 
This is how you sometimes have to do squats for a good shot - so spotting is also fitness)) 
Can't tear yourself away from the guys) 
Although some switched to themselves) 
Oh, and Seryoga is so carried away by the A330 that he doesn’t look back and is about to get pecked in the back of the head)) 
And here is our handsome man in full height, angle and girth. 
Welcome on board 
Tea, coffee, cutlets?) 
And here is such a bright and positive safety card for the A330 
And we didn’t lag behind the flight attendants on board) 
A330-200 VIM-AVIA is presented in 252 seat configurations, of which: 24 for businessmen, 228 for economists. 
Guess the riddle - what is the name of the flight attendant?
Hussars and hussars be silent!) 
Plowshare) 
well, you understand - no comments) 
I had a strange association - a whale shark 
Big plane 
Engines and winglets, in my opinion, are one of the most fascinating elements in airplanes, and of course also the mechanization of the wing during takeoff and landing.
Today, employees of the Investigative Committee of Russia (ICR) detained the general director of VIM-Avia, Alexander Kochnev, and the air carrier’s chief accountant, Ekaterina Panteleeva, as suspects. They are accused of complicity in fraud, which resulted in the collapse of the company. During the day, the investigation plans to bring charges against the detainees and petition the court to impose a preventive measure on them. The co-owners of VIM-Avia, Rashid and Svetlana Mursekaev, according to investigators, went abroad. The Ministry of Transport, meanwhile, announced an agreement with airports and fuel companies of the Russian Federation to service VIM-Avia flights, due to the problems of which over 30 thousand tourists remain abroad. Passengers will be transported until October 15 inclusive, after which VIM-Avia will completely cease operations. According to experts, foreign companies will have to be involved in transportation due to the lack of free boards in Russia.
Detentions
The general director of VIM-Avia, Alexander Kochnev, and the company’s chief accountant, Ekaterina Panteleeva, were brought in for questioning to the Investigative Committee this morning. For Mr. Kochnev, this is already the second visit to the investigators: the day before he was interrogated as a witness. This time he had a different procedural status - a suspect in a case of particularly large-scale fraud with the funds of airline passengers (Part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). Tomorrow Mr. Kochnev and Ms. Panteleeva will be formally charged, and then the investigation will petition the court to impose a preventive measure on them. It is still difficult for law enforcement officers to say how long the interrogations of the suspects will last.
Lawyer of the general director of the VIM-Avia company on Kommersant FM:
In any case, at the moment the accusation is not specified, and for Alexander Kochnev it looks somewhat absurd and surprising. Because, according to his explanations, the situation occurred due to temporary financial difficulties, due to a temporary cash gap, and, other things being equal, it was quite normal - timely funding was simply not received within a certain period of time.
According to the official representative of the ICR, Svetlana Petrenko, the co-owners of VIM-Avia, Rashid and Svetlana Mursekaev, “hurriedly left the country, according to the information available to the investigation, they are abroad, measures are being taken to establish their whereabouts.”
Photo: Grigory Sobchenko, Kommersant
According to an Interfax source, the spouses Svetlana and Rashid Mursekaev may be put on the international wanted list, as the investigation is going to achieve their arrest in absentia.
Transportation
On Thursday night, the Ministry of Transport announced a meeting of the operational headquarters for organizing the transportation of VIM-Avia passengers, in which representatives of the Federal Air Transport Agency, Siberia Airlines and VIM-Avia itself took part. Remotely, the Ministry of Transport agreed to service VIM-Avia flights with Russian airports and fueling companies. In particular, Domodedovo will release five airline planes, stopped by the airport for debts, to Vnukovo, from where they will fly to Antalya to pick up about 2 thousand passengers to Moscow. Regular flights should be operated from Vnukovo to Blagoveshchensk, Krasnodar and Simferopol, as well as from Anadyr to Moscow, and a regular flight from Pulkovo to Beijing and back is being prepared for departure. Today Red Wings is scheduled to carry out charter transportation of VIM-Avia passengers from Rimini to Moscow.
The Ministry of Transport stated that the development of a plan for the transportation of passengers on regular VIM-Avia flights has almost been completed. Transportation will be carried out until October 15, and will cease from October 16. “Passengers with a regular flight date from October 16 onwards are recommended to return their tickets at the place of purchase for a refund,” the Ministry of Transport said in a statement. The next meeting of the headquarters was supposed to take place today at nine in the morning, but its results have not yet been announced. Meetings of the operational headquarters for organizing the transportation of VIM-Avia passengers will be held twice a day until the situation is completely resolved.
Political scientist Pavel Svyatenkov on Kommersant FM:
To begin with, achieve the return of Russian citizens from abroad, because this, apparently, is the main problem that has caused irritation on the part of the head of state. It is clear that what is happening now is a full-fledged crisis, the ministry and the deputy prime minister in charge of this ministry bear their share of responsibility for this.
Rostourism previously said that 196.6 thousand tickets had been sold for VIM-Avia flights by the end of October, and 38.9 thousand tourists were abroad. The Association of Tour Operators of Russia cited a similar figure: according to its data, there are about 30 thousand clients of tour operators abroad who cannot return from vacation due to problems with VIM-Avia.
Press secretary of the Russian Union of Travel Industry Irina Tyurina told Interfax that “the cost of exporting tourists from only four of the eight affected tour operators will be at least 600 million rubles.” “There are consolidators who are willing to pay such amounts. But the problem with the export of VIM-Avia tourists is not only financial; an equally pressing issue is the lack of free flights in Russia. Nowadays you can only find them on the foreign market, in particular the Turkish market,” said Ms. Tyurina. In her opinion, the involvement of foreign carriers will be a real solution to the problem: “You can’t find so many of them in Russia, and it makes no sense to send VIM-Avia planes for tourists - they can be detained in Turkey for debts, so this money will be completely lost” .
On September 26, Mosstroyeconombank, represented by the bankruptcy trustee, the Deposit Insurance Agency (DIA), filed a claim in the Arbitration Court of Tatarstan, where VIM-Avia has been registered since the spring of 2016, in the amount of about 90 million rubles. airline bankruptcy. However, today, given the social tension that has arisen, the DIA has withdrawn the claim pending the determination of the government’s position. As Deputy Minister Alexei Moiseev said, the Ministry of Finance has not yet discussed restructuring the airline’s debts.
Alexander Alexandrov; business department