ArmInfo. Armenian air company Taron-avia, based in Gyumri airport Shirak, launches the implementation of regular flights to Moscow. According to the press service of the Civil Aviation Administration of Armenia, from June 30, flights Gyumri-Moscow-Gyumri will be carried out every Friday. From July 23 flights will be carried out twice a week - on Fridays and Sundays. From Gyumri Shirak flights will be carried out to the Moscow airport Domodedovo.
Taron-avia air-company, earlier implemented freight traffic and served charter directions out of the territory of Armenia, opened regular flights to Krasnodar from Gyumri on April 25. At the same time, the company announced plans to fly to Rostov-on-Don and Samara, and from June also to launch the directions of Gyumri-Sochi and Gyumri-Moscow. According to the general director of the airline Garnik Papikyan, the entire fleet of the carrier, which will consist of three-leased Boeing-737-500, will be based at Shirak airport of Gyumri. To recall, in order to develop the Shirak airport in Gyumri, the Armenian Government has taken 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. On November 21, 2016, the low-cost Russian airline Pobeda (Low-cost AEPROFLOT) opened ticket sales for new international flights from Moscow Vnukovo Airport to Gyumri. Meanwhile, from Shirak airport 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 stopped. 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 can be considered the second international alternate airport of Armenia.