ArmInfo. There is a work implemented in Armenia to set the concept of "From airways to free airspace". This was announced by the Head of the Main Department of Civil Aviation of the Republic of Armenia Sergey Avetisyan at a press conference in Yerevan on September 22.
According to him, the implementation of the program will result in, the air carriers to be able to enter the airspace through each established point and fly in a freely chosen direction. This, in the opinion of the head of the GDCA, will reduce the costs of airlines and reduce fuel consumption.
In addition, as Sergey Avetisyan stressed, since April 2017 negotiations with the European Commission on the conclusion of a comprehensive agreement on the common aviation space have been conducted, as a result of which the aviation market will be liberalized for all countries of the European Union.
As ArmInfo earlier reported, the comprehensive agreement on the common aviation space is aimed at improving the quality of international communications in Europe, providing high-quality services and providing a wider choice for passengers. The agreement is also aimed at increasing competitiveness in the EU aviation industry. The agreement with Armenia will take the form of the Common Aviation Area Agreement, as Armenia is one of the countries with which the EU is building closer ties within its neighborhood policy. It should be noted that Europe's safe and stable airspace for a long time remained closed to Armenia. The timing for Armenia's accession to the "Single European Sky" was postponed several times. In December 2015, in Brussels, during a meeting between Armenian Foreign Minister and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini, Edward Nalbandian voiced Armenia's readiness to sign the Common Aviation Area Agreement with the EU. It was noted that in December the EU will provide a mandate to sign such an agreement, and from January 2016, negotiations on this issue will begin. In recent months Yerevan has repeatedly stressed its interest in the early start of negotiations. At the same time, the Armenian side noted that it sees no reason for postponing the execution of the mandate. According to the established procedure, immediately after receiving the mandate, the EC will be authorized to start negotiations with Yerevan. Armenia will be provided with a draft agreement, which, according to the EU, will be the basis for negotiations on accession to the common aviation space. As those responsible for the sphere in Armenia assured, the negotiations will not be long, as there is a basic model format of cooperation with all countries. The single aviation space of Europe is considered a horizontal agreement, that is, it will automatically enter into force for both the EU as a whole and for each of its countries separately. As a result of the accession to this agreement, a more liberal aviation regime will operate between Armenia and 28 EU countries, which will be used by airlines from Armenia and EU countries. In addition to providing flight safety and certification regulations, the document provides for the removal of restrictions on the performance of flights of foreign carriers of Armenia, Armenian - to European countries. This will allow, on better terms, to attract European airlines to Armenia, in particular, budget airlines. Liberalization will also ensure fair competition at the international level through a combination of government assistance and regulation of standards. This means integration into the European aviation market, assistance to the entry of Armenian businessmen into foreign markets, becoming an important transit country in the air transport field. From the member countries of the Eastern Partnership, Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine joined the common aviation space. Joining the common European airspace will allow Armenia to enter a safe and stable airspace.