Thursday, November 27 2014

An "open sky" policy was imposed on Armenia by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, the former head of Armenia's General Department for Civil Aviation (GDCA), Shahen Petrosyan, said at today's press-conference.

He said that in the 90s as well the IMF and the WB made such an initiative, but then the Armenian government managed to hold back such a pressure. Moreover, in the 90s Armenia managed to gain high profitability of the work of the national carrier in the person of the "Armenian airlines", which became the second biggest tax payer to the state budget of the country. Even an air company Araks was created at the local market to compete with the "Armenian airlines" company. But at the end of the 90s Araks was forcefully attached to the "Armenian airlines", and the latter was purposefully bankrupted, the expert said and added that the authorities of the country were very much interested in the profitable companies.  It is not accidental that "Armavia" appeared at the scene instead of the "Armenian airlines".  But for its part, coming across difficulties, "Armavia" sold 75% of its shares to the Russian "Sibir" air company. The Russian carrier started implementing a stabilizing programme, but because of several reasons, which the expert did not want to mention, was forced to return the shares to their former owner "Armavia". 

Petrosyan thinks that an "open sky" policy is directly concerning the national security problems. "We see the policy imposed on Armenia and the lobbyist order, and certain forces behind them. Actually, for the last period of time, we come across the situation when decisions are adopted not in favor of the state and people but a specific person or clan",- Petrosyan said and added that even an audit was not held when conducting an "open sky" policy.  As a result, Armenia may become a revolving door, he said. "Such a policy has led to the intention to open a Simferopol-Yerevan flight, which may be followed by the sanctions to Armenia", -Petrosyan said and pointed at the fact that many air companies, such as -"Al ITaly" and "Czech airlines" have already refused the flights to Yerevan. "Such developments will take us back to the Soviet times when all foreign flights were implemented via Moscow", - he said. He also added that it is dangerous for Armenia to join Eurasian Economic Union. "We have been losing branches one after another  and turning into in the Soviet Union. And it is not ruled out that one day the monument to Lenin will be also restored. Everything has been developing in this direction",- Petrosyan concluded. 

To recall, on 23 October 2013 the government of Armenia endorsed the conception of the programme on providing competitive and stable air traffic in the republic. Many specialists say that Armenia should go the way of liberalization, which will stimulate the GDP growth, ensure opening of the new job places and will make the passenger traffic more comfortable and the prices lower