Modernization program of  "Shirak" airport is delayed due to  uncertainty of  fate of building of cultural and historical  significance

ArmInfo. The investment  program of modernization of the "Shirak" airport in the second city  of Armenia - Gyumri is delayed due to the uncertainty of the fate of  the building of cultural and historical significance. The Prime  Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said this on  February 12 to the MPs of the Armenian parliament.

According to him, in Davos, at the World Economic Forum, he received  assurances from head of the "Corporacion America" Eduardo Eurnekian,  in trust of which both airports of Armenia are located, that the  entire investment program will be executed on time and with proper  quality. As Nikol Pashinyan noted, the development of design and  estimate documentation is delayed due to the ambiguity of the fate of  the historic building at the "Shirak" airport. Nevertheless, the  concessionaire promises to significantly increase the number of  budget airlines operating flights to Gyumri.

As for Yerevan "Zvartnots" airport, then, as Nikol Pashinyan noted,  there is a similar situation with the cultural monument. The main  airport of the country is already approaching the limit of the number  of air passengers, and there is a need to expand it. The Prime  Minister agreed that the company's monopoly position does not  contribute to the growth of air traffic. But, according to him, this  inherited the current government, and the current government is  responsible for fulfilling its obligations. "In any case, the  situation must be managed on line mode. And if there are no real  changes and improvements, it will be necessary to think about the  mistakes," the head of government stressed.

Earlier, ArmInfo reported that the RA government at a meeting on  December 27 last year approved a master plan for 2018-2022, presented  by the concessionaire in the person of the Argentine company  "Corporacion America". According to the master plan, the  International Airports of Armenia company will invest $ 38.2 million  in the modernization of Zvartnots airports in Yerevan and Shirak in  Gyumri. The presented document does not yet provide for the  demolition of the old building of Zvartnots airport.

This issue will be the subject of additional discussions. In  accordance with the plan, due to the projected growth in passenger  traffic, it will be necessary to make investments to expand the  runway, equip additional aircraft hangars, upgrade the apron cover,  and upgrade lighting systems. In particular, the length of the runway  will be increased to 2,850 meters, and the width to 45 meters. It is  also planned to lay 12 km of fiber-optic communication cables and  install the latest video surveillance systems.

At the "Shirak" airport it is planned to modernize the apron, a part  of the airfield for receiving aircraft of greater carrying capacity,  which will make it possible to take off and land with Boeing and  Airbus class aircraft. In total it is necessary to modernize an area  of 22 thousand square meters. In 2016-2017 traffic volumes through  Gyumri "Shirak" airport increased 8 times. Currently, about 105  thousand air passengers use the airport services annually. Basically,  transportation is carried out by low-cost airlines, in particular,  the Russian Pobeda airline. The project will allow receiving and  sending larger aircraft. The implementation of the master plan will  allow the main air ports of Armenia to be brought into line with the  standards of the ICAO - the international civil aviation  organization. To recall, in December 2001, the Armenian government  signed with the Argentinean company "Corporacion America", owned by  Eduardo Eurnekian,, on the concession management of the Zvartnots  airport for a period of 30 years. Later, a similar agreement was  signed in relation to the Shirak airport. As of today, the total  investment in the modernization of the two airports exceeded $ 160  million.