GDCA: Passenger traffic through Armenia`s airports grew by 25.5%

ArmInfo. For eight months of 2017, passenger traffic through Armenia's airports amounted to 1.667 million people, which is 25.5% more than in the previous year, during which 2,117 million passengers were transported by air. The head of the Main Department of Civil Aviation of the Republic of Armenia Sergey Avetisyan told a press conference in Yerevan on September 22.

According to him, during the reporting period, cargo transportation volumes increased by 54%, and the number of take-offs and landings increased by 22.1%. Only in August of this year, 293,317 people were transported, which is 14.9% higher than in August 2016. At the same time, 281345 passengers used the services of Zvartnots airport, which is 10.2% more than last August. Through the airport "Shirak" was transported 11,972 people, while in August of the passed year transportation through this airport was not carried out at all.

For eight months of 2017, various airlines made 7,157 take-offs and landings, which is 22.1% more than in the same period in 2016.

Sergey Avetisyan did not rule out the possibility of increasing the number of airlines flying to Armenia. In particular, he allowed the entry of Israeli airlines into the Armenian market. There is growing interest in the airport "Shirak" from both the airlines represented here and new air carriers.

These indicators were achieved, among other things, by implementing the policy of the "Open Sky", approved by the Armenian government on October 8, 2013. The program provides for the provision of competitive conditions in the provision of aviation services. The document is based on the results of a joint study by Mckinsey and the National Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia. Nevertheless, independent experts believe that the cost of aviation services in Armenia is one of the most expensive in the region, as evidenced by the fact that many air passengers prefer to use Tbilisi airport services.

However, Sergey Avetisyan does not agree with such an assessment. In his opinion, the prices for air tickets through the Yerevan airport "Zvartnots" are competitive and not the most expensive. "Earlier, citizens of Armenia preferring flights through Tbilisi, there were many, but now they make up a very small part," he said.