According to Yerlan Ospanov, the chair of the board of directors of the Sary Arka airport in Karaganda, there is a very promising future for the airport as Timur Turlov, the founder and CEO of Freedom Holding Corp., has acquired a share in the company.
«As partners, we share the same goal: to transform the Karaganda airport into a regional aviation cargo hub. Moreover, we are going to implement a more ambitious project of Karaganda Cargo City,» the CEO of the airport wrote on Facebook.
Ospanov revealed that he closed the deal with Turlov by selling 60% of the airport’s shares to Turlov Private Holding. He still controls 35%, though. The final stage of the deal is converting shareholder loans into bonds. The CEO of the airport has also highlighted that either side of the deal is going to reveal its details. At the same time, he also pointed out that he considers Turlov a strong and open partner who can breathe new life into the company.
«This is a new stage in the evolving process of the Karaganda airport,» Ospanov highlighted.
Currently, the airport renders services to regular cargo flights from Ecuador, Belgium and the Netherlands, while aircraft from China make technical layovers here.
«I am still the chair of the board of directors of the airport. Our team is also here. I mean, the deal isn’t going to affect anyone from the staff. Therefore, I am just going to continue shoveling snow at the airport. Can’t live without aviation,» Ospanov wrote.
He acquired Sary Arka in late 2023. The Karaganda airport is one of the biggest airports in Kazakhstan. It has operated since February 1934.
On May 30, some media outlets reported that the founder of Freedom Holding Corp. acquired the majority stake in Sky Service, parent company of the Sary Arka airport. According to eGov.kz, there are three key shareholders of the airport: Turlov Private Holding, Yerlan Ospanov (former CEO of Verny Capital) and Aidan Akanov (top executive of Verny Capital). Before the deal with Turlov, Ospanov and Akanov controlled 95% and 5% of the company, respectively.
