Air-Arabia announces first UAE-Yerevan flight

The Sharjah-based United Arab Emirates national budget airline, Air Arabia, has announced the first direct flights UAE-Armenia.

According to ArmInfo's data, the first flight to Armenia is scheduled for August 19 2013. Another two flights Sharjah-Yerevan are scheduled for the same week: on Tuesday and Friday. The tickets will cost $164-$185.

Sharjah-Yerevan flight will become the 5th new flight of Air Arabia in 2013.  At the moment, Armenia is the only country in the South Caucasus the company makes regular flights to.

The Government adopted a conception to liberalize the air transportation field, on June 6.  At least three national air carriers will operate in Armenia to stiffen competition in the field of air transportation, Artyom Movsisyan, Head of the Chief Aviation Department of Armenia told media.  Movsisyan said that the Department
will announce tenders for flights for Armenian air carries within the coming months. In line with the adopted conception, the national air carriers will enjoy no privileges or exclusive rights unlike Armavia. (Armavia grounded flights on April 1 2013 and launched bankruptcy procedure).  He said that there are nearly 10-12 air companies in the country, but only half of them are licensed to organize passenger transportation.

Established on 3 of February, in 2003, as a result of an Amiri decree by Dr. Sultan bin Mohamed Al- Qasimi, Air Arabia is the Middle East and North Africa's first and largest Low Cost Carrier (LCC). The company offers flights to over 82 destinations spread across the Middle East, North Africa, Asia and Europe.