Record growth in Armenia's civil aviation sector was recorded in 2023.
According to official data provided by the Civil Aviation Committee, the volume of passenger traffic at two airports in Armenia (in Yerevan and Gyumri) increased by 46.7% last year, reaching 5.4 million people, significantly surpassing the figures of the record year 2022 when the number of passengers reached 3.6 million.
More than 1.8 million passengers out of the total passenger traffic utilized the services of local airlines. The share of Armenian airlines' transportation in the total volume of air transportation in 2023 was 33.5%, which is significantly higher than in 2022 - 24%.
Russia remains the most popular destination for flights from Armenia.
During the reporting period, eight new airlines entered the Armenian market, expanding the geography of air transportation. In 2023, regular flights were operated from Armenia to 49 cities in 23 countries.
Earlier, the Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, Gnel Sanosyan, stated that Zvartnots International Airport in Yerevan averages 90 flights per day and has reached the limit of its capacity. According to his statement, infrastructure and other changes are needed to more efficiently handle the increasing traffic.
Armenia's main airport is located 10 kilometers west of Yerevan and is under the concession ownership of Armenia International Airports CJSC, owned by Corporación América, an Argentine entrepreneur of Armenian descent, Eduardo Eurnekian.
After the imposition of Western sanctions against Russia, including in the transport sector, the load on Zvartnots Airport significantly increased. This led to changes in the flight routes of European airlines, which began to bypass Russian airspace.
