The key facts

  • Kommersant, citing sources, names Andrei Potemkin as the main candidate for the post of head of Rosaviatsia
  • Yadrov's appointment as Minister of Transport is linked to personnel reshuffles in the government
  • A source admits that 'the line-up may change at the last moment'

Possible appointment

First Deputy Head of Rosaviatsia Andrei Potemkin may head the agency after the current head, Dmitry Yadrov, moves to the post of Minister of Transport. This is reported by the newspaper Kommersant, citing sources in the aviation industry and the Government of the Russian Federation. According to a source close to the Ministry of Transport, the question of Potemkin's appointment 'has in fact been resolved as of today,' although the interlocutor admits that 'the line-up may change at the last moment.'

Other contenders

Among other potential candidates for the post of head of Rosaviatsia, Kommersant names, in particular, another deputy head of the agency — Alexei Buevich.

Context of the personnel changes

The day before, the State Duma Committee on Transport and Transport Infrastructure Development supported the candidacy of Minister of Transport Andrei Nikitin for the post of Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation. Earlier, President Vladimir Putin endorsed Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin's proposals for personnel changes in the government: it is proposed to appoint First Deputy Finance Minister Irina Okladnikova and Primorye Governor Oleg Kozhemyako as new deputy prime ministers, and a new post of Deputy Prime Minister — Minister of Finance will appear in the government, to be taken by Finance Minister Anton Siluanov. The candidates for positions in the cabinet were earlier supported by United Russia.