Armenia’s Yerevan Zvartnots International Airport

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Zvartnots International Airport (EVN) is the main international airport of Armenia and the busiest airport in the country. It is located near Zvartnots, 15 km (9.3 mi) west of Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia. The airport serves as a hub for Aircompany Armenia, Armenia Airways, Armenian Airlines, Fly Arna, FlyOne Armenia, and Shirak Avia.

The airport has one runway and two terminals that can handle various types of aircraft and passengers. The airport serves more than 40 destinations in Europe and Asia with regular scheduled flights and some seasonal and charter destinations. The airport has won several awards and recognitions for its quality and performance.

The airport was opened in 1961 and was designed by a group of Armenian architects who won a design competition in 1970. The airport was renovated in the 1980s to meet the domestic traffic demands within the Soviet Union. After Armenia declared its independence from the Soviet Union in the 1990s, the airport experienced a growth of cargo shipments and built a new cargo terminal in 1998 that can handle about 100,000 tonnes of cargo annually.

In 2001, a 30-year concession agreement for the management of operations at the airport was signed with Armenia International Airports CJSC, owned by Argentine company Corporación America, which is in turn owned by Armenian Argentine businessman Eduardo Eurnekian. As part of that agreement, the airport underwent several upgrades and expansions, including:

  • The renovation of the runway, main taxiways and ramp.
  • The opening of a new gate area and arrivals hall in 2006.
  • The improvement of the airport’s fire services and fire-fighting fleet.
  • The opening of a new departures and arrivals terminal, a car-parking facility with a capacity of 600 vehicles, and a government delegation terminal in 2011.
  • The implementation of a new flight information display system (FIDS), an automated and biometric identification system for baggage check-in and passenger control, and the installation of 150 surveillance cameras across airport premises.

On January 30, 2013, Zvartnots airport was named “Best Airport In the CIS” during the Emerging Markets Airports Award (EMAA) ceremonies held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The airport has one runway (09/27) that is 3,850 m (12,631 ft) long and can accommodate aircraft up to and including the Antonov An-225, Boeing 747-400 and Airbus A380. The runway is equipped with an ILS CAT II, which enables aircraft operations in low ceiling (30 meters) and visibility (350 metres).

The airport has two terminals: Terminal 1 for domestic flights and Terminal 2 for international flights. Terminal 2 has a capacity of handling up to 3.5 million passengers per year and has 46 check-in counters, eight gates, four jet bridges, and nine baggage claim belts. The terminal also has various facilities and services for passengers, such as:

  • Business lounge with free Wi-Fi, snacks, drinks, newspapers, magazines, TV screens, showers, and meeting rooms.
  • Duty-free shop operated by Dufry that offers a wide range of products such as perfumes, cosmetics, alcohol, tobacco, confectionery, souvenirs, electronics, and fashion items.
  • Food court that offers various cuisines such as Armenian, Italian, American, Asian, and fast food.
  • Currency exchange office that provides exchange services for major currencies such as USD, EUR, RUB, GBP, CHF, CAD, AUD.
  • Post office that offers postal services such as stamps, envelopes, postcards.
  • Pharmacy that sells medicines and health products.
  • Souvenir shop that sells local handicrafts and products such as carpets, ceramics.
  • Bookshop that sells books and magazines in different languages.
  • •Flower shop that sells fresh flowers and bouquets.
  • Car rental service that offers vehicles from various brands such as Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
  • Taxi service that provides transportation to and from the city center and other destinations.

What are the destinations served by the airport?
The airport serves more than 40 destinations in Europe and Asia with regular scheduled flights operated by various airlines such as Aeroflot , Air France , Aircompany Armenia , Armenia Airways , Armenian Airlines , Belavia , Cham Wings Airlines , Emirates , Fly Arna , FlyOne Armenia , Georgian Airways , Iran Air , Iran Aseman Airlines , Mahan Air , Nordwind Airlines , Pobeda , Qatar Airways , Red Wings Airlines , Ryanair , Shirak Avia , S7 Airlines , SkyUp Airlines , Transavia France , Turkish Airlines , Ukraine International Airlines , Ural Airlines , Utair Aviation , Wizz Air .

Some of the most popular destinations from Zvartnots airport are:

  • Moscow (SVO/DME/ZIA)
  • Tehran (IKA)
  • Paris (ORY)
  • Dubai (DXB)
  • Istanbul (IST)
  • Kiev (KBP/IEV)
  • Minsk (MSQ)
  • Beirut (BEY)
  • Tbilisi (TBS)
  • Larnaca (LCA)

The airport also serves some seasonal and charter destinations in Europe, Turkey, Russia and the Middle East.

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