Head of General Department of Civil Aviation: Air ticket prices in Armenia will be reduced

ArmInfo. "I do not think that  the air ticket prices in Armenia are low or that the local market is  diversified," Sergey Avetisyan, Head of the General Department of  Civil Aviation, told reporters on October 27. "We have a lot of  problems, but we are actively working. The ticket prices will be  reduced and the progress is already obvious," Avetisyan said. He  noted that the Russian low- cost Pobeda air carrier is entering the  Armenian market. This meets the joint plans of the Government and  owner of Zvartnots CJSC to develop Shirak airport in Gyumri as an  airport working with low-cost companies. He said that the announced  10 thsd AMD ticket price for Pobeda is realistic for a certain  segment of air tickets. It is not yet known what percentage of the  tickets will be sold at this price, he said, noting that a Boeing  737-800 will serve the flights (180 seats) and the upper price  threshold will not be high, because it should maintain the  competitive advantages of the airport in Gyumri. 

Avetisyan said that service prices in Shirak airport are much lower  than in Zvartnots airport. Due to the legislative changes, passengers  are exempted from the 10thsd AMD air tax. This also contributed to  establishment of low tariffs. Avetisyan noted that negotiations are  currently being held with other air carriers, too. "The aviation  market of Russia remains direction number one for Armenia," he said,  adding that appearance of any new player on the market influences the  formation of the price policy in the field. 

It was reported earlier that the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency  (Rosaviatsia) has given a permit to Pobeda low-cost carrier (member  of Aeroflot Group) to make flights from Moscow to Gyumri, the second  largest city of Armenia. The flights will be carried out 7 times a  week. In August 2016, Rosaviatsia gave Pobeda a permit to operate  flights to Yerevan. The sale of the air tickets to Yerevan was to be  launched by autumn, but the flights have not been opened so far.   Pobeda operates flights to 58 destinations, including Italy, Germany,  Spain, Slovakia, Montenegro, and Cyprus. Pobeda also carries out  flights inside Russia - mainly, from Moscow and Krasnodar Territory.   

According to the official statement of the General Department of  Civil Aviation, starting from late November 2016 Pobeda will make  three fights a week from Moscow (Vnukovo airport) to Gyumri (Shirak  airport) and back. The air ticket price will start from 10,000 AMD  (nearly 21 USD).   

On October 20, while presenting the government program, Prime  Minister Karen Karapetyan stated in Parliament that the Armenian  government intends to re-launch the airport in Gyumri, the second  largest city of Armenia. According to him the government is holding  negotiations with a number of low-cost companies for this purpose.

To recall, no flights have been conducted from Shiak airport in  Gyumri for a long period of time. The only flight Gyumri-Moscow was  suspended in the beginning of this year. To note, "Shirak" airport is  part of "Armenia" International Airports" CJS, established by the  famous Argentinean businessman of Armenian descent Eduardo Eurnekian.   The airport "Shirak" of Gyumri was built in 1961 and with its indices  it is the second in the Republic of Armenia. The airport is 5 km away  from Gyumri and 120 km away from Yerevan. The building and the runway  of the present functioning airport have been put into operation in  1982. The airport "Shirak" of Gyumri can be considered the second  international alternate airport of Armenia.