Armavia’s departure had no effect on tourism in Armenia, deputy minister claims

Suspension of Armavia’s operations and start of the bankruptcy procedure have not affected Armenia’s tourism sector, deputy minister of economy Ara Petrosyan told journalists Friday.

The government keeps in contact with air companies and tour operators and received no complaints so far, Petrosyan said.

“Other companies increased the number of their flights to Armenia and filled in the gap left by Armavia”, the deputy minister said.

Petrosyan also said that Armavia reduced frequency of its flights even before announcing itself bankrupt; hence the company’s departure has not provoked any crisis.

Earlier, the head of Armenia’s civil aviation department Artem Movsisyan reported the government was negotiating with air companies to reduce ticket prices. The only company who raised its prices (by 10,000 drams) was FlyDubai, he said.

According to Armenia’s civil aviation department, in the last two years Armavia accounted for 20-24% of the overall air traffic. The company’s share was even lower this year – 16% in January and February and only 12% in March.

Source: arka.am