HONG KONG, June 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Meridian Capital Limited, a global investment firm based in Hong Kong, has announced that it has completed the sale of its shares in Russian regional airports owner Novaport Group (“Novaport”), to co-shareholder and long-term partner, AEON Corporation, a Russia based investment group (“AEON”). AEON founder Roman Trotsenko will now be the owner and primary shareholder of Novaport.

“After fifteen years of joint ownership in Novaport, taking the group through major operational improvements and an expansion of its footprint, we exited this business which is now under the experienced care of Mr. Trotsenko,” said Yevgeniy Feld, Principal at Meridian Capital Limited. The investment was successfully exited by Meridian Capital Limited at the end of 2019. “With Mr. Trotsenko’s leadership, and deep understanding of the Russian market, we believe Novaport will continue to enhance and improve airport operations and infrastructure expansion.”

In 2004, Meridian Capital Limited invested in a minority stake of Novosibirsk airport alongside AEON. Over time, the two partners oversaw an investment program totaling approximately RUB35 billion in the group’s airport infrastructure, becoming co-owners of one of the largest regional airport operators in Russia with 18 airports across the country. “The partnership with Meridian Capital has served Novaport well over the years as we worked together to bolster regional economic development and tourism, and increase the modernization and capacity of airports,” said Roman Trotsenko, owner of Novaport and AEON. “Airports will need to adjust during this challenging time, we are prioritizing the safety of our employees, the airlines and their customers, and we are doing what we can to keep the airways open."

In 2019, Novaport serviced more than 24.5 million passengers across international and regional destinations covering 162 cities and 30 countries, making Novaport one of Russia’s largest airport operators. Efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 have led to a significant decrease in travel and related airport services. Since then, Novaport has implemented health and safety regulatory guidelines in its airports to allow essential travel to occur safely.

“At Meridian Capital we are continuously monitoring the global marketplace and reviewing our investment strategy; our priority is to seek out investment opportunities and work with partners having the expertise to grow and enhance businesses,” said Feld. “We are extremely proud of the role we have played in supporting the growth of airport infrastructure in Russia over the many years of our investment in Novaport.”

About Meridian Capital Limited
Meridian Capital Limited seeks out global investment opportunities with favourable long-term fundamentals. The company operates primarily in emerging and frontier markets, often in partnership with industry leaders and talented entrepreneurs.

About Novaport
With 18 airports in its network, Novaport is one of the largest and fastest-developing regional airport operators in the country. The company holds a major equity stake in 16 regional airports across the Russian Federation: Novosibirsk, Chelyabinsk, Volgograd, Tomsk Astrakhan, Chita, Tyumen, Perm, Murmansk, Kemerovo, Kaliningrad, Mineralnye Vody, Ulan-Ude, Vladikavkaz, Voronezh, Saranks and owns minority interests (48-49%) in 2 airports, Barnaul and Stavropol.

Contact
Meridian Capital Ltd
Level 37, 41 Heung Yip Road,
Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong
media@meridiancapitallimited.com
Contact: +852 2239 5300