BRITISH AIRWAYS INCREASES FLIGHTS TO YEREVAN 20% DUE TO GROWTH OF AVIATION MARKET OF ARMENIA

YEREVAN, MAY 31. ARMINFO. In summer season British Airways is
increasing the frequency of its London-Yerevan-London flights starting
from June 18 up to 6 flights weekly, Director for Sales of British
Airways Office in Yerevan Suren Avagyan told journalists today.

The flights are carried out by airbuses A321 and A320. Avagyan added
that British Airways had operated in Armenia since 1997 and started
direct flights London-Yerevan-London three times in a week in 2003.
Avagyan thinks that the increase in the number of flights is connected
with the growth of the market of air transportation in Armenia,
which conditioned 15-20% growth of air transportation of British
Airways in the first quarter of 2005. He did not mention the number
of the passengers served by the company in Yerevan, just saying that
the company’s planes contain 124-149 seats and the load is 60%. “The
given step of British Airways is directed at satisfaction of the
demand of the Armenian market of air transportation,” Avagyan said.

In response to the question of ARMINFO’s correspondent regarding the
plans of the Yerevan office of the company to attract transit air
passengers to Yerevan, Avagyan said that British Airways is ready to
cooperate with any company having production identical to the quality
and safety of the services it provides. “At present, there is no such
interaction for lack of relevant demand,” Avagyan said.

To note, the national air carrier of Armenia – Armavia company
also exploits four Airbuses A320. Simultaneously it forms demand
for transit air transportation in Yerevan and plans to increase the
number of transit passengers in the airport Zvartnots in 2005 by 50%
– to 30,000 passengers. In 2004 the market of air transportation in
Armenia grew 20% – to 1,05 mln passengers.