Domodedovo is another Russian airport to be nationalised. The end game for foreign investment there?

The Russian national civil airport system is need of investment, and never more so than now. There is actually a fair amount of domestic private sector activity there through companies like Novaport, Airports of Regions and Basic Element/Basel Aero.

But the story lies in the singular failure of any foreign 'western' operator/investor (apart from Changi Airport International which took equity in 2017 in Vladivostok Knevichi Airport) to stay the course there.

Fraport was the first globally significant company to take a stake in a Russian airport, in 2010, but within the last three years it has withdrawn from operational activity at Saint Petersburg Pulkovo Airport following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and latterly has been expunged entirely as Pulkovo was renationalised.

Now it is the turn of Moscow's Domodedovo Airport, which for some time was controlled by the 'private sector', and mainly in the form of a single Russian individual.

No foreign companies were formally involved, but since Jan-2025 the management there (which has long been under state scrutiny) was accused of permitting such involvement clandestinely - and in the Kremlin that meant it was a case of Goodnight Vienna.

The end came when it was announced that Domodedovo was under state control, with effect 20-Jun-2025.

This raises two questions.

Firstly, what is the state going to do to rescue an airport that is in serious decline? One that would be a welcome challenge to a western investor.

And secondly, what future is there at all for foreign investors, assuming the war ends.

Probably none, by the look of it.