Armenian civil aviation department to conduct study of local small airports

YEREVAN, April 10. /ARKA/. A senior official of the Armenian Civil
Aviation Department said the department will conduct a comprehensive
study of all local small airports this year to find out which of them
can resume operation. Serob Karapetian, head of a unit in charge of
flight safety, said part of studies has been conducted already. He was
speaking at a news conference at Novosti Armenia international press
center.

Two Armenian airports operate now, the international Zvartnots airport
in Yerevan and Shirak airport in the second largest town of Gyumri.
Both are run by an Argentinean American International Airports, owned
by an ethnic Armenian Eduardo Eurnekian.

Serob Karapetian said Armenia is withdrawing from operation all
Soviet-made aircrafts, particularly, An-24 and Yak-4- aircrafts, which
consume to much fuel and do not comply with current safety and other
standards.

In 2009 January the Armenian government approved a small aviation
development concept. Under the Soviets 13 small airports operated
across Armenia connecting regional centers with Yerevan. -0-