RUNWAY OF SHIRAK AIRPORT TO BE COMPLETELY REPAIRED THIS YEAR

Noyan Tapan
Feb 12 2007

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, NOYAN TAPAN. Repairs of the 3,220-meter runway
of Gyumri’s Shirak Airport will start in May. Head of the RA Civil
Aviation Main Department Artyom Movsisian told NT correspondent that
it is envisaged to implement the work with state budgetary allocations
of 1.7 bln drams (about 4.7 mln USD) and complete it in three months,
during which the airport will operate 1-2 days a week. A. Movsisian
said that the department received no bid from any company, particularly
from Argentinian Armenian businessman Eduardo Ernekian, on Shirak’s
management or transferring for concession. However, according to
him, they are prepared to discuss this issue with a private company
because large investments have to be made in the airport. He also did
not rule out the vesrion of the airport’s privatization. To recap,
Shirak Airport started operating from 1961 and can service Tu-154,
IL-76 and other planes of such type. At the present time, regular
flights to Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and Sochi are made from the airport.