Armenia’s Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, Gnel Sanosyan, shared plans for developing the country's aviation infrastructure. Speaking at the World Armenian Summit, he outlined the prospects for modernizing Kapan Airport and other airports across the republic.
According to Sanosyan, the primary goal is to turn Kapan Airport into an international or regional hub. The vision is that in the future, it will serve flights not only to Yerevan but also to nearby cities in neighboring countries. Already, the frequency of flights from Kapan to Armenia's capital has increased to three times a week.
The minister also provided updates on ongoing negotiations regarding a major investment program for Zvartnots Airport. A working group led by Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan is nearing agreement on all aspects of the deal. The implementation of this program will enhance the infrastructure of all airports in Armenia.
"Our goal is to create the conditions for our airports to handle 10 million passengers annually," Sanosyan said. He highlighted that last year saw a record for the country, with 5.4 million passengers.
Currently, only two Armenian airports—Yerevan and Gyumri—handle international flights. Armenia's main gateway, Zvartnots Airport, is managed under concession by Armenia International Airports CJSC, which is owned by Argentine-Armenian businessman Eduardo Eurnekian.
It’s worth noting that after the imposition of Western sanctions against Russia, the load on Zvartnots Airport increased significantly due to the rerouting of European airlines avoiding Russian airspace.
These factors contributed to a record surge in Armenia’s civil aviation in 2023. Official statistics show a 46.7% increase in passenger traffic at Yerevan and Gyumri airports compared to the previous year, reaching 5.4 million passengers. This is a significant rise from the 3.6 million passengers handled in 2022.
