On Saturday, April 29th, Turkish officials closed Turkish airspace to select Armenian flights. The ban particularly applies to all Armenian flights heading to a third destination and comes in response to a monument erected in Yerevan last week.
The 'Nemesis Monument' commemorates the individuals involved in an assassination scheme of Ottoman and Azerbaijani leaders in the 1920s. The Turkish government has taken offense to the monument and will keep these air travel restrictions in place until the monument is removed.
Armenian air carriers found their operations suddenly restricted while operating within Turkish airspace on Saturday. According to Daily Sabah, the air carriers reported were informed by The Directorate General of Civil Aviation of Turkey that they would no longer be able to operate to a third destination from Turkish airspace.
The airlines said they were given no prior notice and were forced to halt such operations immediately. The sudden stoppage of these operations forced the airlines to cancel such flights for the foreseeable future.
The carriers are understandably frustrated that forces beyond their control are hindering operations. To them, it seems unfair that they should be punished for actions and decisions made by politicians. A representative for the low-cost air carrier FlyOne Armenia stated the following concerning the airspace closure,
"For reasons incomprehensible to us and with no visible grounds, Turkish aviation authorities canceled the permission previously granted to the FlyOne Armenia airline to operate flights to Europe through Turkish airspace,"
In association with the country's aviation authority, the Turkish Foreign Ministry has shared the terms by which it will remove the airspace restriction. Representatives have stated that if Armenian officials were to have the 'Nemesis Monument' removed, the aviation authority would, in part, terminate the travel restriction.
As of now, no negotiations are known to have occurred between the two countries concerning the air travel restriction. However, even if talks begin, it is unlikely that Turkey will fold as it has made its stance very clear.
The new air travel restriction puts Armenian air carriers and the Armenian air travel economy in a pinch. While it may not seem like a big deal to restrict flights from one foreign country to another, it is, in this case, due to Turkey's geographic location. Turkey is effectively cutting off Armenia from much of Europe.
While other ways exist to reach parts of Europe, most will require operators to fly significantly further to travel around Turkish airspace. This will impede timely operations and force airlines to restructure many routes.
These longer flights will lead to higher operating costs which will be passed down to the paying customers. The higher airfare will likely slow the Armenian air travel economy. Suppose the Armenian air transit industry experiences a significant decline in ticket sales – in that case, it will begin to hamper the country's economic growth as the leisure and business travel markets will likely take a hit.
Source: Reuters, Daily Sabah