Again, an attempt is made in the aviation market to have a new local airline. The new company by the name “Armenia” is already registered in Armenia. “We can say for 99 percent that “Armenia” company is already operating, a few issues are remained to solve” – said the CEO of the airline, Robert Hovhannisyan, in an interview with Aravot.am.
To our question that a number of local airlines in Armenia went bankrupt, so whether there is no fear that “Armenia” will also have the same fate and whether this airline will not fail in the case of open sky policy, Mr. Hovhannisyan said that they are full of hope, “Everything will be all right, we will be moving according to our business plan.” At the moment, according to the CEO of the “Armenia”, they are expecting to receive a license from Armenia’s civil aviation to carry out the flights. Hovhannisyan assured that the overwhelming majority of the staff for the newly airline will be composed of Armenians. Note that according to the Georgian “Kommersant”, the Georgian “Airzena” founder Tamaz Gaiashvili and the former Deputy Executive Director Robert Hovhannisyan are founding new airline in Armenia.
According to the same source, in the recent period, “Airzena” airline has had serious problems in Georgia’s aviation and has halted the flights in the direction to European countries. Mr. Hovhannisyan has informed the Armenian portal Sputnik that the first flight will be carried out by the Boeing 737-700 but the direction is still unknown. The Civil Aviation HQ reported Aravot.am that the company has submitted the request-application for review. “In the case of complying with the requirements of the law, we will receive the license.”
Former chief of Civil Aviation, Shahen Petrosyan, in an interview with Aravot.am, referring to the emergence of the new airline, expressed an opinion that the private sector takes a great risk of doing business in this industry, “How can it make investments in this industry when Armenia has become a Russian province?” Petrosyan opines that a competition may happen in the aviation industry if the parity agreements are restored, “The open sky is void but the sky policy should be open bilaterally. Like Ukraine with the United States. If you open your skies, the other side should do the same. Establishing an airline is risky, it should be initiated by the state to establish an Armenian airline, then gradually sell the shares like the “Air France” and “British Airways” did. As to what will happen to this “Armenia” company, I cannot tell, it is risky.”
Nelly BABAYAN
