Armavia pledges to refund Yerevan-Aleppo ticket price by yearend

Armavia Armenian airline company has operated no Yerevan-Aleppo-Yerevan flights in the past three months, with the air carrier citing Syrian-Armenians’ refusal to return to Aleppo as the reason.
However, a number of Syrian Armenians still expect Armavia to refund the price of the tickets earlier purchased.
”The price of the tickets will be refunded by the end of the year. Only 40 people are left to get their money back,” spokesperson for the national carrier Nana Avetisova told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.

,,Armavia” to restore flights to Aleppo

National air carrier "Armavia" company is to restore regular flights to Aleppo on September 10. Nana Avetisova, the press secretary of the company, noted in her interview with Armenpress that Syrian Armenain children who have been on holidays in Armenia will return to Aleppo on additional flight on September 9. Flights to Aleppo have been temporarily suspended beginning from September 2. : National air carrier "Armavia" company did several additional flights to Aleppo, due to the critical situation in Syria.
Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Diaspora, the head of the working group dealing with Syrian problems Firdus Zakaryan informed Armenpress that more than hundred children will leave Armenia on additional flights.   

Source: armenpress.am

Armavia ceases flights to Aleppo

Since today, Armavia Air Company ceases its flights to Aleppo.

“The reason is the threat of the Syrian opposition and the lack of communication with Syria. In this way the security of the passengers is guaranteed,” the statement of the Air Company reads.

Source: aysor.am

Armavia cancels flights to Syria’s Aleppo

Armenian national carrier Armavia has canceled Yerevan-Aleppo-Yerevan flights.
As the company’s spokesperson Nana Avetisova told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter, the decision was taken due to the deteriorating situation in Syria, as the airports in Aleppo and Damascus “can be targeted by rebels.”

Source: panarmenian.net

50 Syrians arrive in Armenian capital on Armavia plane

Armavia air company operated an additional Yerevan-Aleppo-Yerevan flight at 2:1 pm local time on August 2 despite its unprofitability.
According to the company’s press service, Yerevan- Aleppo flight operated without passengers.
The number of passengers arriving in Armenian capital from Aleppo totaled 50, Armavia press service told PanARMENIANNet.
SAG-200 50-seat plane was operating Yerevan-Aleppo-Yerevan flight.

Source: panarmenian.net

“Armavia” implemented Yerevan-Aleppo the first additional flight

Armenian national air carrier “Armavia” company on August 2 at 14:01 o’clock implemented Yerevan-Aleppo-Yerevan the first additional flight. Armenpress was informed from press service of the company that the airplane from Yerevan to Aleppo left without passengers because of absence of demand. It is planned that the airplane from Aleppo will arrive in Yerevan at 18:25 o’clock.
The flight was implemented by SAG-200 airplane which has 50 seats. The number of passengers at situation of 16:00 was 47 people. “Armavia implemented the flight staying loyal to his word despite the non-profitability of the flight” is said in the massage spread by the company.
The first additional flight was planned on August 1 by plane Boing with 108 seats but because of the absence of the passengers did not take place.

Source: armenpress.am

August 1 Arvamia flight to Aleppo cancelled over lack of passengers

August 1 Armavia air company‘s Yerevan-Aleppo-Yerevan flight was cancelled over lack of passengers.
According to Armavia, the air company is ready to operate an additional flight in case of necessity.

Source: panarmenian.net

“Armavia” to launch extra flights to Syria

“Armavia” company starts additioanl flights to Syria. “Armenpress” was informed by the Airline News Service that Yerevan-Aleppo-Yerevan additional flights are scheduled to be implemented since August 1.
“Despite the clashes in Syria, particularly in the city of Aleppo, the national air carrier “Armavia” air company demonstrating patriotism, lends a friendly hand to the Syrian Armenians in order to bring them out of war zone”, reads the statement made by the company.
Additional flights are planned to be carried out also on August 8, 15, 22 and 29. The flights will be implemented by “Boeing” aircraft with 108 seats.

Source: armenpress.am

Armavia is ready to assist the repatriating Syrian-Armenians

The Armenian Ministry of Diaspora applied to the “Armavia” company asking to make available a second flight per week with Aleppo-Yerevan direction . Chief of Media and Public Relations Department of the Ministry Tevos Nersisyan informed Armenpress, that the time of flight launching is not clear enough.
Chief of Public Relations Department of “Armavia” Anahit Aivazyan gave an informatin to Armenpress, that the national air carrier and the Armenian Government are still negotiating. The company will make an announcement soon regarding the flight details.
On July 26 the Armenian Government made a modification in a decision, according to which Armenians from Syria and Lebanon, in the case of obtaining the Armenian citizenship, could get their passports from Armenian diplomatic representations. According to another decision, the Executive Body confirmed that Armenian foreign citizens could have an opportunity to obtain an Armenian visa in the checkpoints of the Armenian border.

Source: armenpress.am

Armenian activists held a protest action in front of “Armavia” office

Today a group of activists held a protest action in front of the general office of “Armavia” aviation-company in Yerevan. The participants of the protest action claim the company must overview preices of the flight Yerevan-Aleppo-Yerevan.
Civilian activist Nvard Manasyan applied to “Armavia” and especially said:
“We have borne for many years in order to have just one national aviation server. Now “Armavia” completely failed in its title as national. Now Armenians in Syria have problems and are unable to reach Armenia, but the so-called national company makes money using the tragedy of the people. We call on you to realize what “national” is and as you are protected from the equal competition we call on you to act for the nation. If you are now unable to prove that you are national, so we do not need you at all. If we have other problems in future we will not need you at all. Why are you called national? When you see the situation in Syria and the condition of Armenians in Syria you must show humanitarian attitude. Where is your social responsibility? We have a real problem today and if you are unable to settle it so throw away your title “national” and just be an aviation company and participate in the international competition equally”.
Another activist, Apres Zohrabyan, considers that “Armavia” is just cheating when it says that the ticket seller company has raised the price.
“Armenia has suffered many difficult moments. We have seen earthquake, collapse of economy and just it these hard days we had support by the Armenians in Diaspora and especially by the Armenians in Syria. And if we now let “Armavia” act in such way, it will be ingratitude by us. “Armavia” is the only company in Armenia which reacted to the Syrian events and thought that this is a good opportunity to gain money”, A. Zohrabyan says.
Note that more and more Armenians in Syria want to leave Syria and return to Motherland now. This aim is connected with the strained situation in Syria. And “Armavia” company has raised the prices of the tickets for Yerevan-Aleppo-Yerevan flight.

Source: times.am

Armavia deems speculations over Aleppo-Yerevan air tickets possible

Armavia Armenian airline company has officially denied the Syrians’ statement on the alleged letter the company received from RA Ministry of Diaspora.
“Dwelling on the rumors regarding the high ticket prices for Aleppo-Yerevan route, Armavia assesses the information as false,” according to the company’s press service.
Armavia’s message further named aircraft provision (a special expensive aircraft was purchased for the purpose), passenger service and transportation among the company’s goals.
In the message, Armenian national airline offers to address all issues related to the price and sale of tickets for Aleppo-Yerevan-Aleppo route to Syrian agents in charge of them. Air tickets for Aleppo-Yerevan route have been sold out until for the late August, which doesn’t rule out speculations.
“Special programs should be implemented in the given case. Armavia air company exercises no other rights and privileges besides its direct obligations,” the message reads.

Source: panarmenian.net

Armavia has not raised the ticket prices

Armenian national airways Armavia airline has not raised the ticket prices. As Armavia airline company informed Armenpress, there are no significant changes concerning to the departing aircraft charges in the course of the last two months.
The increase was  within 2000-5000 AMD, resulted by euro exchange rate fluctuations air company   commercial department informed. The flights to Moscow, Krasnodar, Simferopol, and Barcelona prevail among the frequently travelled directions. No ticket price rising is recorded pertain to these directions.
Armavia has denied circulating rumors on the increase of Syria-Armenia flights and that  resultantly   our compatriots prefer coming Homeland by transit ways.
Currently Aleppo-Yerevan flight ticket costs 118 600 up to 210 300 AMD. Weekly one flight is implemented on Mondays.
Armavia has suspended its flights to Syria during several months, clarifying with the interstate complicated situation in Syria.
Yerevan-Aleppo flights were reopened on July 9.

Source: armenpress.am

Armavia Airlines Resumes Syria Flights

An Armavia plane flew to Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, on Monday and returned to Yerevan the following day for the first time in nearly four months.
The company suspended the flight service in March, citing the worsening security situation. Air communication between the two countries has been carried out only by the Syrian Air airline since then. Its Yerevan-Aleppo flights have been fully booked until September, a fact that led to calls for Armavia to enable more Syrian Armenians to take refuge in their country of ancestors.
The Armenian carrier said late last month that it has decided to resume the weekly service at the request of His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians. The airline spokeswoman, Nana Avetisova, said on Wednesday that all 104 tickets for its first July flight from Aleppo were quickly sold. Avetisova denied reports that Armavia has sharply raised the ticket prices.
Hundreds of Syrian Armenians are believed to have moved to Armenia in recent months. According to immigration authorities in Yerevan, about 3,000 of them applied for Armenian citizenship last year and another 2,700 in the first five months of this year.
Garbis Arabaltian, a middle-aged hairdresser from Aleppo, was among 320 people who arrived in Yerevan on a Syrian Air flight early on Wednesday. He was greeted at the Zvartnots airport by his teenage son, who migrated to Armenia two months ago and has already found a job at a Yerevan hotel. “It’s better to be in the homeland,” said the young man.
Arabaltian said his wife and younger son will join them soon. “My wife had a real ordeal last week,” he told RFE/RL’s Armenian service (Azatutyun.am).  “She was at a clinic where [armed men] terrorized a doctor.”
“Things are very tense,” said one woman. “We don’t know what will happen next. For example, there was an explosion yesterday. Everyone was shocked but fortunately … nobody was hurt.”
Not all arriving Syrian Armenians have decided to relocate to Armenia on a permanent basis. Some of them said they plan to stay in the country for several months and monitor further developments at home.
“This is our third trip to Armenia this year,” said one man who arrived at Zvartnots with his family. He said he will fly back to Aleppo later this month and will be joined by his wife and children in September.
He said the turmoil in Syria is not the only reason why they travelled to Armenia. “There is a desire to come to Armenia and this situation is helping us to do that. We also have [Armenian] identity and own a home here,” he explained.

Source: asbarez.com

On Board: Armavia resumes air link for ethnic Armenians fleeing from war-torn Syria

Armenia’s national air carrier Armavia has resumed the Yerevan-Aleppo-Yerevan flight, which was suspended in late March over escalating violence in Syria. The direct Armenia-Syria flight has great importance for Christian Armenians caught amid the internal strife in Syria.

Armavia airline press secretary Nana Avetisova told ArmeniaNow that now the company will have only one flight per week; and if the demand grows the number of flights will grow, respectively.

Late in March the national air carrier suspended the Yerevan-Aleppo-Yerevan flight explaining its step by the danger connected with the civil war in Syria. But because Syrian-Armenians keep coming to Armenia and taking refuge here (their number has reached about 3,000), and Syrian Airlines carrying out the Yerevan-Aleppo-Yerevan flight has sold out all tickets up until September, His Holiness Karekin II, the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, turned to Armavia, asking the company to resume the flights to and from Aleppo.

Meghri Hayitian, 21, moved to Armenia together with her family about four months ago. She told ArmeniaNow that she had been informed about more Syrian-Armenians’ arrival.

“On July 11, some of my relatives will arrive in Armenia by plane, too,” Hayitian said.
However, as Syrian-Armenian journalist Harut Yekmanian told ArmeniaNow, most Syrian-Armenians still prefer escaping to neighboring Lebanon and European countries and not Armenia. (According to the data of Armenia’s Diaspora Ministry, more than 50,000 ethnic Armenians reside in Syria). Yekmanian says that throughout this year the Aleppo-Yerevan flight has always been overloaded, and it is wrong to suppose that now more Syrian-Armenians have started coming to Armenia.

“Those who used to come for a visit are the ones now coming to Armenia,” Yekmanian concludes.
Information has recently been circulated in the press that Armavia has hiked the ticket price for the Yerevan-Aleppo flight up to 237,000 drams (about $568) against the previous 119,000 drams (about $285). Avetisova reported that the ticket prices had become 128,000 drams (about $306), and the price increase is connected with safety issues and Syria’s refusal to provide insurance. Nevertheless, it is impossible to find a ticket at $306 in travel agencies in Yerevan. For example, Geographic Travel representatives told ArmeniaNow that all the economy class tickets are sold out until August, and the tickets of higher class cost 250,000 drams (about $600).

Source: armenianow.com

Armenia's national airline resuming flights to Syria on request from the Catholicos

Armenia's national airline, Armavia, is due to resume on July 2 regular flights to Aleppo, a Syrian city where the majority of the Arab country's ethnic Armenian community lives, after suspending them in March due to due to the domestic political crisis in Syria, company spokeswoman Nana Avetisova said.

"In view of great demand for Yerevan-Aleppo-Yerevan flights and a request from the Catholicos Karekin II of All Armenians it has been decided to resume traffic," Avetisova told Interfax.

Initially there would be one flight per week in each direction, but there would be more flights afterward if necessary, she said.

There are 60,000 ethnic Armenians in Syria. Aleppo is home to 45,000 of them.

Earlier, foreign Armenian foreign minister Vartan Oskanyan made an entry on his Facebook page urging the Armenian government to help Syria's ethnic Armenians.

Yerevan-Aleppo flights have been suspended since March 25, 2012.

Source: interfax-religion.com

Armenian Airline to Resume Flight to Troubled Syrian City

Armenian air carrier Armavia announced Friday that it is to resume the flight to the Syrian city of Aleppo next week.
The Yerevan-Aleppo flight, which has been put on hold because of the situation in Syria, will take place every Monday, local media outlet Armenpress quoted Nana Avetisova, the company's press-secretary, as saying.
"We are resuming the flight because of the request from Armenian society" and others, said Avetisova, adding that it will offer Syrian Armenians the opportunity to reach Armenia in case of emergency.
The Syrian Armenian community currently numbers nearly 100,000, according to the report.

Source: english.cri.cn

Armavia restores Yerevan-Aleppo flights

“Armavia” national carrier company restores Yerevan-Aleppo regular flights. Armenpress was informed from the press responsible person of the company Nana Avetisova that from July 2 each Monday with periodicity one flight in a week will be implemented Yerevan-Aleppo flights. It is possible that in future the schedule is reviewed.
“We restored the flights based on request of society, individual citizens and His Holiness Karekin II Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians” mentioned Avetisova.
Yerevan-Aleppo flights were stopped since March of current year based on security concerns because of international difficult situation.
Because of clashes which last already 16 months more than 10 000 people have died in Syria. Armenian community also had losses: 6 Armenians have been killed, 4 of them were soldiers of Syrian army.

Source: armenpress.am

Armavia restores Yerevan-Aleppo flights

From July 2nd the Armenian national carrier Armavia will restore the Yerevan-Aleppo flights, suspended from March 25, taking into consideration the situation in Syria and its consequences.

Meanwhile, expert in Arabic studies Suren Manukyan says that the Syrian events may continue for years. He does not see the possibility of solving the issue at this point.

The shooting down of the Turkish warplane by Syria was a message to Turkey to hint that its relations with neighbors would aggravate. However, the expert says Damascus could not have made the decision on its own. Therefore, he is assured that it was supported by Moscow.

The reaction of the West to the incident was interesting. According to Suren Manukyan, this means that the West is not ready for war. “If NATO ignores this, it means that it cannot be a reason for war,” he said.

The expert believes the West is implementing a different program in Syria. It is trying to exert influence on the events through financial-economic sanctions. 

Source: armradio.am

Armavia air company resumes flights to Aleppo

Armavia air company announced resumption of regular flights to Aleppo starting July 2.
The flight will be operating once a week, on Mondays, the air company’s press service said.

Source: panarmenian.net