The Moscow city government has agreed to acquire airport infrastructure assets developed by Gazprom Avia at Ostafyevo Airport for RUB 2.7 billion (about USD 30 million), in a move that formalizes the end of aviation operations at the former business aviation hub and clears the site for large-scale urban redevelopment.
Under the agreement, signed Dec. 9, Moscow will purchase buildings, structures and supporting infrastructure located on municipally owned land leased to Gazprom through the 2050s and 2060s. The runway and the core airfield area, however, were not included in the transaction and have remained in city ownership throughout.
City officials and real estate specialists describe the deal as the final phase of a public–private partnership, in which the municipality buys out capital assets created by a private investor on public land.
Asset Composition and Legal Boundaries
According to contract annexes published on Russia’s public procurement portal, the acquired assets include passenger and cargo terminals, hangars, utility networks, internal roads, and support facilities previously used for business aviation operations.
The documentation also lists apron areas, aircraft parking stands, service roads and auxiliary ramp infrastructure. Notably absent are any direct references to the runway, runway strip or airfield as standalone real estate assets. The cadastral land plot accommodating the runway, taxiways and parking areas is likewise excluded from the sale.
An extract from Russia’s Unified State Register of Real Estate confirms that this plot was already owned by the City of Moscow at the time of signing and designated for the expansion of Ostafyevo Airfield, leaving Gazprom without legal grounds to transfer the airfield itself.
End of Flight Operations
Ostafyevo, established in the 1930s as a military facility, later evolved into a dual-use airfield and, in the 2000s, a major base for Gazprom Avia and business aviation in the Moscow Aviation Hub. After receiving international airport status in 2007, it handled corporate, regional and charter traffic, including foreign-registered business jets.
Flight operations ceased in early 2024, and a draft government resolution to close the airport has been prepared. Once enacted, Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency will remove Ostafyevo from the national register of civil aerodromes.
Business aviation traffic has since shifted primarily to Moscow Vnukovo, where the Vnukovo-3 terminal remains Russia’s dominant business aviation center. Prior to the pandemic, the airport handled an estimated 70–75% of Moscow-based business jet departures.
Redevelopment Outlook
Located within dense urban development, Ostafyevo faced growing constraints related to safety zones and aircraft noise. With aviation activity terminated, the site is now earmarked for redevelopment, potentially including a high-technology industrial park, research facilities and residential construction.
Urban planners view the acquisition as securing a strategically located land reserve in New Moscow, supported by existing transport links and utility infrastructure.
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