Could you tell us
about your airport, as mot of our readers don't
know what "Manas" airport is and the latest
developments which have taken place here after 11th
September?
Airport Manas was a dead-end airport during the
soviet times, but after the collapse of Soviet
Union the previous managers of the Airport managed
to move it towards the international market and
since that time we are conquering international
air-companies, trying to attract them here and
striving to promote ourselves in the air business
world. I think that unfortunately there was a
bad reason that brought attention to our Airport,
I mean the events of 11th September, behind that
good push there has followed Kyrgyzstan's participation
in the anti-terrorist coalition. This has of course
been a political issue but nevertheless it was
has been a big plus for the airport. Since the
last year when the coalition forces began to allocate
themselves here, we have been attracting a lot
of cargo air companies which were transporting
loads and since that time 3500 landings and departures
by the forces attracted to this campaign were
implemented from our Airport. Aside from this
there has been such big worldwide transporter
companies like Korean Air, Pabor Air, Avi Green
and other rather huge air-companies which would
not come to our airport under any other circumstances.
For example, Korean Air is making intermediate
landings in Tashkent, as far as I know about 6
flights per week, practically every day, and all
of us know that there is a strict control concerning
bringing in and repatriation of foreign currency
from Uzbekistan. Kyrgyzstan in this regard is
much more liberal, but unfortunately foreign experts
visited our airport and argued that our platform
is not adapted technically for such types of aircrafts
for long-term parking. The money influx from the
coalition forces particularly, has allowed us
to extend our platform by our own efforts and
we are now planning to finish construction of
3 parking places for Boeing 747 by the middle
of November. This are positive times for our airport.
If we would have a possibility to accept without
any restrictions and they could park and be located
here, I believe that such big carriers which are
flying between South-Eastern Asia and Europe,
could possibly will use our airport.
Do you think that this favorable situation
is sustainable, regardless, of the presence of
coalition forces here. Do you think that once
they leave Kyrgyzstan, Manas airport, all those
advantages will persist?
To say it openly, possibly, no. There are many
such airports like us in our region, and there
is a manager seating in each airport thinking
about the same things that I do now. We were lucky
that the coalition forces chose us. With the coming
of the coalition forces we were able to increase
the salary of our personnel practically 2 fold.
We also have had the possibility to purchase and
are purchasing a new technical equipment to serve
the aircrafts. We have bought a special uniform
for our people. All this was not done for about
ten years. We do understand that once the coalition
forces will leave Kyrgyzstan then we should maximally
use today's situation in order to improve the
possibilities of our airport. Therefore the most
important task that I, as a manager see, is the
renewing of the whole equipment here as well as
the training of our personnel. Since spring we
have started to actively send our people to international
workshops. We are trying to update our staff with
young people, with knowledge of foreign languages
and expertise in different fields.
You were mentioning the fact that there is a lot
of competition in the region in the terms of the
airport becoming a hub for airlines, cargo and
other air related companies. What do you think
are the competitive advantages of Manas airport
in comparison with other International airports
in Almaty, Tashkent or other airports in the region?
You have correctly noted that we are located
within the radius of 500 km. from Tashkent and
250 km from Almaty. Tashkent airport received
a good heritage from USSR because during the soviet
time it experienced international flights. Middle
Asian aviation base was located there during the
soviet period. In regards to Almaty - during the
soviet time it was one of the airports where most
of the big soviet aircrafts were flying to, even
the well-known TU 144, analogue of Concord was
flying to Almaty from Moscow. Unfortunately I
must repeat once again that we were dead-end airport
and our population in comparison with that Kazakhstan
and Uzbekistan was much less, and of course with
a limited potential of number of passengers. Only
after the collapse of Soviet Union have the managers
been involved in a real struggle for survival.
They have nevertheless made a lot of achievements
as I believe, and today what we could compete
with out neighbors is that the reconstruction
of our airport was conducted not so long ago.
I think that even inside the airport this can
be noted by being a normal traveler
, that in comparison with them our airport is
even better, that is how it seems to me.
Could you give us a rough estimate on how
much money does the Aiport generate for the nation?
We have been here almost for 2 months and we read
and heard from many sources about the presence
of coalition forces here in Kyrgyzstan and there
is an opinion that they are bringing good profit
to the Kyrgyz economy and Manas airport, particularly.
I could not respond for the whole country, but concerning
the airport I would say that actually it was a big
plus for us - for today's financial possibilities
of airport. Since 16 December at till the end of
August we have got about 5 mln. dollars and rent
payments close to 1 mln.dollars. This is what concerning
airport Manas. And what I see good for us, even
basing on my experience, as by communicating with
them every day, as our work intends such daily communication
with representative of all the countries represented
here. We are obtaining the communication skills,
because our philosophy of communication which was
before it was quite different from that we can observe
with western representatives.
We met Mr. Otorbaev, we discussed number of issues
with him, he pointed out to us the areas he wanted
to direct the influx of FDI into the Kyrgyz economy.
One of them is the service sector. He spoke widely
about the presence of airport Manas and possibilities
of it becoming a hub for tourists, passengers and
perhaps also for cargo. What is you vision as manager
and president of the Aiport Manas.
It is difficult to respond to such a question objectively.
I have my own vision and it seems for me to be different
from the one of our country's leaders. Of course,
we are striving to succed, we are building, and
extending our platform in order for us to have possibilities
for transiting big aircrafts and for them to land
here and be served here. Today we have such a situation
that aviation is developing so that new big aircrafts
are constructed in a way they can fly from Singapore
to London without making intermediate landings for
additional fuelling.
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Considering this developments
within the industry we should focus on becoming
a cargo hub over here, only in case that the whole
region of Middle Asia develops more intensively,
for example, rapid construction will be going on,
or the oil will be mined in enormous quantity like
in the neighboring Kazakhstan, where one need only
to bring in a lot of equipment, but everything should
be connected with the macroeconomic development
of the region. Today we can count for maybe only
tourists, we are a tourist country and for this
our airport should look like normally, in order
to meet properly the foreign passengers, so that
they would feel comfortable and easy here and also
would departure from our airport. I can se the task
of airport in this. Because when they fly to Bishkek,
they have got some problems. The situation here
is so that it is difficult to change people. The
main part of airport employees are working here
for 20-30 years. And they were working in a soviet
type of work and still continue to work this way.
We could not just fire them and to force them to
work the new way is also difficult. Me, for example,
could not just stand next to each of them in order
to control them. What we are doing today - we have
purchased the system for hidden video observing.
We are planning to install it until November and
than I would have the possibility to monitor the
situation, like if there would be a person caught
for extorting let's say 10 euros from some German
tourist. And than I believe something is going to
change. Because even in comparison by Kyrgyzstan
airport employees receive not the smallest salary.
What is the average salary here?
As of today, our main personnel receives about 3000
soms a month, some 17 dollars. We have a possibility
and sufficient reserves, and we are considering
them now, for increasing their salary. Nevertheless
our people still continue to violate the rules,
trying to earn 10, 20, 50 dollars anyway they can.
I see the solution of this problem in the installation
of hidden video cameras to monitor their activities.
The psychology of our people is so that nothing
will stop him/her if our legislation makes it so
that it is difficult to fire a person, to punish
him/her if are not able not catch him in the act.
What can be done in cases of misconduct is that
a person leaving abroad can write a letter that
he was forced to pay so much by somebody. I didn't
meet a person who would come here and indicate the
person who forced him to pay. It seems to be a closed
circle. I think as I saw in many other airports
that the system of video monitoring is very much
developed everywhere. It would be my merit if we
will install this system, and when I will leave
this position, the next manager would take this
situation as normal. He will not have a headache
with this problem.
What about attracting more carriers and more
passengers to Kyrgyzstan. We have discussed it with
Minister of transport and it seems to be very, very
necessary not just for airport Manas and for tourism
industry. What are you doing to attract more international
carriers to pass by or fly to Manas airport?
This year we have created our own web-site and nowadays
it is still weak, not to compare with yours. This
site exists for only 2 months. But I think this
is the way we are working . Concerning the air companies,
I would again refer to Almaty and Tashkent, we offer
them lower tariffs. And again everything resists
on our country itself, as for example, the people
from Europe will never come to have a vacation in
Kyrgyzstan or very few of them would do. This is
in general.
But don't you think, perhaps, that the first
thing is to promote Kyrgyzstan, promote the tourism
industry and then of course, the carriers will come?
I would think that it is not the task of the airport.
Our task is to create good conditions, possibilities
to fly, to be served here, so that the tourist by
his arrival would have a pleasant experience, go
to Bishkek, use a good hotel. Today it is a problem
of the whole country and it is now covered by those
officials, who are in charge for this issue - Mr.
Otorbaev. I think it is very global promoter of
this issue.
How would you describe the investment climate
in Kyrgyzstan and what do you think about Mr. Otorbaev
efforts to create a favorable and welcoming environment
for investors in this country?
It seems to me that he has approached this issue
very correctly. I would again refer to the mentality
of our people, that on the lower levels, the middle
officials, most of them do not understand all this.
I think that it is a matter of time and nowadays
most of the people start to understand this situation,
that things need to be changed, to undertake something
so that to improve the possibilities of Kyrgyzstan.
Concerning the airport itself if we will put in
order everything in our area, and it would be the
same in other areas, like at Issyk-Kul in resorts,
here in hotels, in taxis even, than I think the
situation will be a bit different. I think there
are still many resorts and hotels within the hands
of Government. But I know as well that since this
year they started to actively privatize the resorts,
and already saw many private resorts this year at
Issyk-Kul lake. The situation is becoming quite
different, of course, not exactly what it is desired,
but these are already serious, real steps.
You've been newly appointed as a general director
of the airport, could you perhaps tell us about
what previous experience you have brought to this
position, and what are your challenges as the major
decision maker for Airport Manas for the future?
I graduated University in Moscow, received Master
degree there as well. Then I was involved in business
there for a long time and returned to Kyrgyzstan
some 5 years ago. While working in Kyrgyzstan I
was conducted some private business. I have considerable
experience and it seems to me that when thinking
about the reasons of my being here, my work within
the private business sphere determined my presence
here. I hope that by coming from private business
sector I will be able to apply all my maximum efforts
and experience order to bring our airport in compliance
with the standards of international airports.
Thank you very much.
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Mr. Arsaliev
Erik Seidalievich