ArmInfo. The volume of cargo transportation in Armenia in January-September 2020 compared to the same period of the previous year increased by 4.9% - to 10,874.1 thousand tons (against a decline of 52.2%). Of these, 7,055.6 thousand tons (64.8% of the total) fell on road transport, having increased by 5.2% in y-o-y terms (against a decline of 63.3%). This is evidenced by the data of the RA Statistical Committee.
According to statistics, rail freight traffic for the reporting period increased by 6.5% - up to 2,472.2 thousand tons, while air transportation decreased by 19% - to 11.5 thousand tons. The main pipeline supplied 1,334.8 thousand tons of natural gas with an annual growth of 0.8%. Freight turnover decreased by 0.9% - to 3,404.4 million tons/km.
For objective reasons, passenger traffic for the reporting period decreased by 60.8% - to 56 150.7 thousand people (versus 4.6% growth a year earlier over the same period). In particular, road transportation decreased by 62.8% - to 45,285.3 thousand people, rail - by 30.2% to 233.7 thousand people, air - by 73.3% to 734.4 thousand people. At the same time, the transportation of passengers by electric transport decreased by 46.2% to 9897.3 thousand people. Passenger traffic decreased by 65.3% - to 711.9 million passenger- km.
To recall, since March 16 of this year the government of Armenia in connection with the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, declared a state of emergency in the country, which negatively affected the tourism industry, since a number of restrictions were introduced related to the implementation of passenger transportation. As a result, according to the results of 9 months of 2020, the number of tourists coming to Armenia in y-o-y terms decreased by 77.5%, amounting to 327,735 people. At the same time, cargo transportation was carried out in a normal mode, as evidenced by the data of the RA Statistical Committee.