Azerbaijani businessman loses duty-free empire at Moscow airport

Azerbaijani entrepreneur Araz Mehdiyev has ceased to be the owner of the largest operator of duty-free shops at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport.

On August 25, control of Travel Retail Sheremetyevo LLC passed to Vitaly Bavin, who for the past two years has led the company, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Founded in 2022, the firm manages the majority of duty-free and duty-paid outlets at the airport, including boutiques for Max Mara, Hugo Boss, Swarovski and others.

In 2024, the company doubled its revenue to 12.4 billion roubles (approximately $154 million).

Mehdiyev previously owned operations at Domodedovo Airport as well as stakes in Imperial Duty Free, but in spring and summer 2025, these assets were transferred to offshore companies registered in the Marshall Islands.

The businessman was also known for his links to the Kievskaya Ploshchad group, controlled by God Nisanov and Zarakh Iliev.

In 2018, he acquired shares in several of the group’s companies formerly owned by entrepreneur Ilham Rahimov. By 2019, however, those stakes had returned to Rahimov.

By Aghakazim Guliyev