FlyArmenia Airways outlines initial network plans

FlyArmenia Airways (VF, Yerevan) has announced its tentative initial network on its website with a disclaimer that flights would only be bookable once the Armenian authorities lift travel restrictions. Although the start-up secured its Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) in July 2020, it remains very secretive about its fleeting plans. It said that it wanted to use unspecified B737s, but also A300B4(F) and B747-200(F) freighters to run prospective intercontinental cargo services. It has yet to take delivery of any aircraft. On its website, it currently lists A319-100s, B737-300s, and B757-200s on its fleet page. While the European Union and Armenia concluded negotiations of an open skies treaty in 2017, the agreement has yet to be ratified and enter into force. As such, FlyArmenia Airways would have to secure individual traffic rights for its routes to the EU. Also, the carrier has yet to obtain its Third Country Operator status, without which it would not be permitted to fly to the bloc. The carrier’s EU plans are likely to be further complicated by the blacklisting of the General Department of Civil Aviation of Armenia (GDCA) by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) after multiple shortcomings in its safety, and regulatory oversight were revealed during an audit in February. Currently, no Armenian carriers are certified to operate in the EU. While flights to and from Armenia are affected both by the COVID-related quarantine requirement for arriving passengers and by the martial law in the state pertaining to the ongoing clashes with Azerbaijan, flights as such are not banned.