ArmInfo. The second licensed Armenian air carrier, Taron-Avia, will carry out scheduled and charter flights from the Shirak airport in Gyumri in April 2017. This was reported by the press service of the General Department of Civil Aviation (GDCA) of Armenia.
Within the framework of the agreement between the GDCA and Taron-Avia, the airline will be based at the airport "Shirak" of Gyumri and carry out regular and irregular flights. "The airline's flights will contribute to the creation of new jobs, economic development in the region and the activation of tourism", the regulator's statement reads.
The GDAC was also reminded that in order to develop the Shirak airport in Gyumri, the Armenian government took a number of steps. In particular, from December 31, 2014 the airport was released from payment of the so-called "air tax". Since January 1, 2017, the tariff for air navigation services has been reduced by 50%, and airline air services for airlines are free of charge.
November 21, 2016 low-cost Russian airline Pobeda (loukoster of Aeproflot) opened ticket sales for new international flights from Moscow's Vnukovo airport to the second largest city of Armenia Gyumri. To recall, from the airport "Shirak" for a long time, there were no flights at all. The implementation of the only Gyumri-Moscow flight in 2015 from the beginning of 2016 was suspended. Airport "Shirak" is a part of the "International Airports of Armenia" CJSC, established by the well-known Argentine businessman of Armenian origin Eduardo Eurnekyan. The airport was built in 1961 and is an international airport that serves the second largest city in Armenia - the city of Gyumri (located 5 km from Gyumri) in the Shirak region. In February 2017, it was announced that the company managing Shirak for the purpose of improving the airport infrastructure intends to realize a $ 10 million investment project, $ 3 million of which will be invested this year.