Will Armenian Carriers Be Removed from EU Blacklist?

DALLAS — Armenian Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Gnel Sanosyan said today that 41 problems that had put Armenia-certified airlines on the EU ‘blacklist’ have been identified and 40 of them have been eliminated.

The nature of the deficiencies deal mainly with the following:

• Safety Oversight Capabilities: The European Commission cited concerns about the Armenian Civil Aviation Committee's ability to ensure proper safety oversight.
• Certification Process: There were issues related to the certification of airlines. Tatevik Revazyan, a previous official, mentioned the need for recertification of registered airlines and special training for committee specialists to conduct proper certification.
• Compliance with International Standards: The airlines and the Civil Aviation Committee were found not to meet international safety standards.
• Management and Oversight Issues: A criminal case investigation revealed serious management and oversight problems within the Civil Aviation Committee.

Armenia has a total of six commercial airlines currently banned from operating in EU airspace due to safety concerns. These airlines include:

• Air Dilijans
• Armenia Airways
• Armenian Airlines
• FlyOne Armenia
• Shirak Avia
• Aircompany Armenia

In addition to these, there are also several charter and cargo airlines registered in the country.

Four Years Blacklisted

In 2020, the European Commission revised the EU Air Safety List, prohibiting all certified Armenian airlines from operating flights to EU countries, except for evacuation, humanitarian, and medical flights. This decision was made after a hearing with the Civil Aviation Committee of Armenia and six Armenian airlines.

Two years ago, the Armenian parliament ratified the Agreement on the Common Aviation Area between Armenia and the European Union and its Member States, which was signed in Brussels a year earlier, on November 15, 2021.

Under the agreement, Armenia had to align its legislation with EU aviation rules and standards in areas such as aviation safety, air traffic management, security, the environment, economic regulation, competition, consumer protection and social aspects within the next two years.

Today, Sanosyan stated that “the only remaining problem will be eliminated in December. Our main problem was the shortage of inspectors. This problem has been partially solved and several specialists are now having a retraining course, which will end in mid-December.”

The minister noted that Armenian aviation authorities will request European partners to conduct a study to decide which airlines to remove from the ‘black list’. “We have scheduled a video meeting for 13 November, during which a roadmap will be worked out,” Sanosyan said.

Armenian Commercial Aviation

Armenia’s commercial aviation history can be traced back to the Soviet era when Armenian airports served as hubs for Aeroflot (SU), the Soviet national airline. After Armenia gained independence in 1991, the country embarked on a journey to develop its own aviation sector.

Armenian Airlines (JI), established in the early 1990s, was the first national carrier to operate in Armenia. Armavia (U8), founded in 1996, emerged as a significant player in the aviation industry, especially after Siberia Airlines (S7) acquired a 50% stake in 2002. Under U8's leadership, the airline quickly gained exclusive air route permissions and experienced rapid growth, expanding its market share from 5-6% to 43% by 2004.

Armenian International Airways (MV), founded in 2002, focused on operating flights to European destinations. MV merged with U8 in 2005. However, the sector faced challenges in the next decade, leading to the cessation of operations by U8 in 2013 and the suspension of services by 2003-founded Air Armenia (QN) in 2014 due to financial difficulties.