ArmInfo. The largest low-cost airline in Europe Ryanair, has announced the launch of flights from Yerevan and Gyumri. This was announced on October 16 at a press conference with the participation of Ryanair Chief Commercial Officer David O'Brien, Managing Director of "Armenia" International Airports CJSC Marcelo Wende and head of the RA Civil Aviation Committee Tatevik Revazyan.
David O'Brien said that Armenia is becoming the 43rd country on their list. He stated that the company is starting its activities in Armenia in three new directions. In particular, direct flights to Rome and Milan will start from Yerevan on January 14, and to Berlin from the end of March. The first European destination from Gyumri Shirak Airport will be Memmingen (Germany), which will be available from the end of March 2020.
It is planned that initially Ryanair flights in Armenia will be operated twice a week.
Speaking of prices, David O'Brien said that, on average, Ryanair flights cost around 35 euros. He emphasized that from today, ticket sales are open.
On average per year, the company plans to serve about 130 thousand passengers in Armenia, who, choosing Ryanair, will save a total of about 20 million euros. In addition, according to him, the start of the company's activities in Armenia will provide an opportunity to create new jobs.
In an interview with ArmInfo, Managing Director of "Armenia" International Airports CJSC Marcelo Wende noted that negotiations with Ryanair have been ongoing for several years. He emphasized that the company decided to start air transportation from Armenia due to the great potential, in particular, in connection with the growth of tourist flows to the country.
David O'Brien said that Ryanair currently has 68 locations. "Recently, Ryanair has received base points in Marseille and Toulouse, where many Armenians live," he said. O'Brien noted that Ryanair includes 4 airline companies; in total the number of aircraft reaches 500. Thus, covering more than 2 thousand directions. Over the next 4 years, the company, according to him, plans to increase the number of passengers from 150 million to 200 million.