Billionaire Oleg Deripaska, CEO of the world's biggest aluminum producer RusAl and co-owner of Russia's largest nickel producer Norilsk Nickel, arrived in Norilsk on Tuesday in his private jet, after earlier being denied landing permission.
Deripaska is in Norilsk to attend a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on the development of the city and Norilsk Nickel, its main enterprise, in which RusAl holds a 25 percent stake.
"Mr. Deripaska's plane landed successfully today at 11:11 a.m.," a Norilsk Nickel official said.
An official at Norilsk airport, a Norilsk Nickel subsidiary, said the airport prohibited landing of a private plane on Monday for reasons not connected with weather conditions, but could not confirm it was Deripaska's aircraft.
A Norilsk official told RIA Novosti Deripaska's jet had requested landing three times and received permission three times.
It did not receive permission the fourth time as the request coincided with routine maintenance work which interrupted flight arrivals. The airport recommended Deripaska change his arrival time and he agreed.
Deripaska's aircraft was allowed to land only "thanks to interference of state authorities and strong public attention," a RusAl official said.
Deripaska is locked in a battle for control of Norilsk Nickel with co-owner, billionaire Vladimir Potanin, whose investment arm Interros got three seats on the board of Norilsk's directors following a June annual shareholders' meeting. Norilsk management, including Andrei Klishas, an Interros senior manager, got four seats and independent directors three.
MOSCOW, August 31 (RIA Novosti)
