Russia's flagship airline Aeroflot will sell a 51% stake in its subsidiary Nordavia, an airline operating in the north-west of the country, an Aeroflot source told RIA Novosti on Friday but declined to elaborate.
A source close to the negotiations said Aeroflot had approved the deal under which Taimyr Airlines, belonging to mining giant Norilsk Nickel, would acquire a 51% stake in Nordavia, which had failed to fit in Aeroflot's new development strategy.
Norilsk Nickel declined to comment.
The source said that Aeroflot's board approved the deal unofficially in November and will officially discuss the sale at the end of January.
Nordavia has a fleet of 23 aircraft including 18 Boeing 737 regional airliners. RIA Novosti