In August 2013 Air Armenia CJSC will make its first regular Yerevan-Moscow-Yerevan passenger flight, Air Armenia CEO Arsen Avetisyan told ArmInfo.
According to him, three weeks ago the General Department of Civil Aviation of Armenia provided Air Armenia with a one-year license to make flights to Moscow, Sochi, Samara, Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar and St.Petersburg. Two A-320 planes will operate. The first plane will arrive in the republic in mid August, and the second one - in late September. Avetisyan pointed out that the company was founded in 2003 and was engaged in cargo air carriages. "The first cargo flight was on 18 Aug 2003. Therefore, we want to make our first passenger flight on 18 Aug 2013", he said.
He added that both passenger planes have been leased. Investments in their lease amounted to 3.2 mln USD. If the company succeeds in passenger flights, it will buy aircrafts and expand the geography of its flights, specifically, to Europe and Asia. He pointed out that in mid September 2013 the General Department of Civil Aviation of Armenia will announce tenders for Armenian air carriers and Air Armenia will participate in the tender by all means. "If we win the tender and receive a license for 5 years, we will plan the company's development for the long-term outlook", he said.
At the moment the company has 110 employees. With the launch of the flights, the number of employees will increase to 135 people, he said.
To note, Air Armenia CJSC was founded in April 2003 by Vahan Harutyunyan and Ruzanna Tovmasyan. The authorized capital of the company is $501,000.
Air Armenia will actually become the first national air carrier after suspension of Armavia's flights on 1 April 2013.