The Armenian Government aims to apply international standards in servicing Kapan Airport, located in the south of the country, including the possibility of handling international flights. This was stated by the Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure of Armenia, Gnel Sanosyan, during a meeting of the permanent parliamentary committee on economic affairs on March 13.
During the presentation of the report on the implementation of Armenia's government program for 2023, Minister Sanosyan announced that negotiations are currently underway with the owner of the managing company of Yerevan's Zvartnots Airport to achieve this goal.
According to the concession management agreement for Zvartnots Airport, signed in 2001, there is a restriction on the construction of international airports within a radius of 250 km from Zvartnots. This issue was raised by parliament member from the ruling party "Civil Contract" Ovik Agazaryan, who noted this limitation.
Minister Sanosyan confirmed the existence of such a provision in the contract and announced negotiations with partners to change this situation. "Our intention and desire are to serve Kapan Airport not only for domestic but also for international flights," he emphasized.
The Chairman of the permanent committee on economic affairs, Babken Tunyan, also noted that the term of the concession agreement is coming to an end, and soon there will be a question of signing a new agreement. This opens up the possibility of revising the restrictions imposed on Kapan Airport.
Currently, only two airports in Armenia, in Yerevan and Gyumri, serve international flights.
The Zvartnots Airport in Yerevan, which is Armenia's main air hub, is located 10 kilometers west of the capital and is owned by the International Airports of Armenia CJSC, owned by Argentine entrepreneur of Armenian descent Eduardo Eurnekian.
After the introduction of Western sanctions against Russia, including in the transport sector, the burden on Zvartnots Airport significantly increased. This led to changes in the flight routes of European airlines, which began to bypass Russian airspace.
BMG reported that record growth in Armenia's civil aviation indicators was recorded in 2023. According to official data, the passenger traffic volume at the two airports in Armenia (Yerevan and Gyumri) for the past year increased by 46.7%, reaching 5.4 million people, significantly exceeding the record figures of 2022 when the number of passengers reached 3.6 million.
