ARMINFO News Agency
June 14, 2018 Thursday


Anna Chobanyan-one of most likely candidates for new Head of General
Department of Civil Aviation

Yerevan June 14

Naira Badalyan. Anna Chobanyan is one of the most likely candidates
for the position of new head of General Department of Civil Aviation,
ArmInfo's sources in the Department inform.

To recall, on June 8, 2018 Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan
signed a decree on the resignation of the Head of the General
Department of Civil Aviation of Armenia, Sergey Avetisyan. Ironically,
exactly two years ago he was appointed to this post by the decision of
the then Prime Minister of Armenia Hovik Abrahamyan. Prior to that,
Sergey Avetisyan held the post of Deputy Minister of Economy of
Armenia, where he supervised the aviation sector. Anna Chobanyan also
worked there as head of the Civil Aviation Administration. After
Avetisyan's appointment, she, after the chief, moved to the Department
receiving the post of the head of the air traffic regulation
department.

Meanwhile, since working in the Ministry, Avetisyan and Chobanyan have
been actively promoting the idea of an "open sky". Already in the
Department of Civil Aviation, responding tocriticism on policy of
non-action to local air carriers and "zero" restrictions for foreign
airlines, she stated that this is stipulated by the policy of the
so-called "open skies". " The 'open sky ' policy does not envisage
assistance from the state to any airline, whether local, Russian or
European," Chobanyan was declaring, adding a very dubious thesis that
allegedly "even in European countries assistance of this kind is not
provided, as they have liberal regime for all airlines. "

To recall, the national air carrier of Armenia - Armavia - suspended
its flights on 1 April 2013 and launched the bankruptcy procedure. In
2014 the same happened to Air Armenia.

On October 23, 2013, the Armenian government approved the program
implying provision of competitive and long- term air transportation
services in the country. The program is based on a joint study of
McKinsey & Company and National Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia.
According to the program Open Skies policy would have positive impact
on opening of job places, growth of passenger transportation and
reduction of tariffs. Particularly, it was anticipated that the Open
Skies policy would reduce the prices of flights to Armenia by 10% on
the average, would lead to opening of 18.000-23.000 new jobs, growth
of passenger turnover by 20- 25%. According to the plan this would
allow the country to additionally increase the GDP by 1.5% or $0.3-0.4
bln AMD per annum. Nothing of that happened. Armenia being blocked by
neighbors does not have its national airline and considering the
possible appointment it will not have any in the nearest future.