ArmInfo. In Armenia, airlines enjoying "air tax" exemptions will be required to operate at least 40 flights per year. This decision was made at a government meeting on June 11.
Presenting the draft decision, Armen Simonyan, Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of the Republic of Armenia, noted that according to the current regulations, to be exempt from the state duty on air travel, or "air tax," as it is known, airlines are required to operate 28 flights to new destinations in the summer season and 20 flights in the winter. However, it often happens that 60-70 flights are operated in the summer season, and 10 or fewer in the winter. For this reason, a uniform limit of 40 flights has been established for the entire year. Furthermore, the previously effective government decree is being brought into line with amendments to the Law "On State Duty," which entered into force on May 5 of this year. According to the law, airlines are granted a tax exemption for three years, renewable twice for two years. The option to provide services to passengers digitally is also established.
The Deputy Minister also reported that since 2019, when amendments were made to the current legislation, there has been a positive trend in the expansion of flight geography. A transportation subsidy program was adopted in 2025, which is currently used by two airlines. Since that same year, a 7.5% increase in air traffic has been observed.
In this regard, RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that positive changes in civil aviation are evident as a result of previous decisions. The significant increase in tourist visits is largely due to the expansion of flight geography. To further develop the aviation sector, two key tasks must be addressed: expanding Yerevan's Zvartnots Airport and reforming the Civil Aviation Committee.
