ACCORDING TO ARTYOM MOVSESIAN, ZVARTNOTS AIRPORT READY TO SERVICE TRANSIT PASSENGERS

Noyan Tapan
April 1, 2008

YEREVAN, APRIL 1, NOYAN TAPAN. Zvartnots Airport can be used as a
transit airport because it is in line with international standards
in terms of the quality of services provided. The head of the Main
Department of the RA Civil Aviation Artyom Movsesian said during a
talk with NT correspondent that the main problem here is related to
commercial policy of airlines, that is, the airlines should decide if
it it expedient for them to use Zvartnots Airport for transportation
of transit passengers. For example, at one time passengers were
transported from Georgia to Europe via Zvartnots as Georgian airlines
had no strong positions in European market.

According to A. Movsesian, last year there was a sharp growth in
passenger traffic which made 23.1% or 261,301 passengers. 1,387,002
passengers were transported from Zvartnots in 2007 – against 1,125,698
in 2006. Passenger transportation by Armavia airline grew by 25.56%
or 116 thousand passengers in 2007 on 2006, that by Austrian Airlines
– by 14.8% or 6,400 passengers, while passenger transportation by
British Airways declined by 8.1% or 1.831.

As regards the second largest airport of Armenia – Shirak Airport
of Gyumri, A.Movsesian said that based on a government decision,
it was also transferred to American International Airports company
for management, and it has been decided to turn it into a reserve
airport for European airlines.

Sibir airline currently operates frequent flights from Shirak Airport
to the Russian cities of Moscow, Rostov, Sochi and Yekaterinburg.