Evkurov persuades Qatarians to invest in "Magas" Airport

The idea of the head of Ingushetia, Yunus-Bek Evkurov to build an international terminal at the "Magas" Airport has found support, after six years, at the Russia's Ministry of Transports. The Ingush authorities, who justified the need to build the terminal by the increasing number of people travelling abroad and the need for the republic's economic progress, has convinced the head of the Qatar Investment Agency to finance the project.

According to the press service of the head of Ingushetia, today Yunus-Bek Evkurov has won the consent of Sheikh Abdullah bin Saud al-Thani, the head of the Qatari Investment Agency, to invest into the construction of a large airport terminal.

"Our airport is the best in Northern Caucasus; it is able to receive all types of aircrafts; but to improve the adjacent territory, an investor is needed," Mr Evkurov has explained.

The cost of construction of the terminal is estimated at 300 million roubles, Vakha Evloev, the director of the Magas Airport, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"We have large Diasporas in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey; and our compatriots in these countries want to fly to Ingushetia right away," he said.

According to his story, immediately after the opening of the terminal, they will start flights to China, Turkey, Kazakhstan, the United Arab Emirates, Germany and Belgium.

The Ingush authorities refer to the data of the republic's branch of the "Rosstat" (Russian Federal State Statistics Service): in 2013, the number of Ingushetia residents leaving the republic was 3456 persons; and in 2016 – 12,567.

According to the plan, international flights from the airport will start already in 2018.