JUSTICE FACTION CONSIDERS IT URGENT TO EXAMINE SITUATION IN CIVIL AVIATION

Noyan Tapan
May 16 2006

YEREVAN, MAY 16, NOYAN TAPAN. The RA National Assembly Justice faction
put in circulation a draft decision on setting up an ad hoc commission
to examine the activities of the Armenian government in the civil
aviation sector. The commission will study the current situation in the
civil aviation, including the programs to overcome the current crisis
in civil aviation. One of the commission’s purposes will be to examine
the implementation of investment programs envisaged by the contract
of Corporacion America company that assumed the trust management of
Zvartnots Airport. Tatul Manasetian, Ph.D., representative of the
Justice faction, stated this during the May 16 press conference.

According to him, the necessity to examine the implementation of
invsetment programs is conditioned by the fact that there have been
“sufficient abuses”.

Particularly, according to some documents presented by Corporacion
America, more than 10.5 mln dollars was spent on repairs of the
1,800-meter runway in Zvartnots Airport. The deputy noted that repair
work of the 3,000-meter runway with the same equipment in Dushanbe
cost only 2 mln dollars. T. Manasetrian is more than convinced that
Corporacion America’s figures are exaggerated, and taking into account
the fact thet they are not controlled, it provides an opportunity to
make superprofits. In his words, “the aviation can never operate at a
loss, it is doomed to operate at a profit.” T. Manaserian also attached
importance to the legislative basis for regulation of the indicated
sector. He underlined the necessity to promote the adoption of the
RA Air Code by the National Assembly, which will enable to regulate
the activities of the civil aviation and prevent illegal actions,
the signing of arbitrary agreements and attempts to use the aviation
for personal interests. Responding to a question of NT correspondent,
the deputy noted that his colleagues from the RA National Assembly
“are two types: sensible and partisan, many of them having a blind
mentality.” He said that the deputies with sober mentality cannot vote
against the above mentioned initiative of the faction. According to
him, the Armenian aviation with its two branches – civil and military
– is called upon not only to ensure the Armenian borders’ stability
and national security but also to promote the economic security of
the country. To recap, two and a half years ago the Justice faction
took a similar initiative that failed.