The first Yerevan-Stepanakert flight may take place as early as the spring 2013, Nagorno-Karabakh's Prime Minister Ara Harutyunyan told French journalists during his visit to Paris.
Le Monde quotes Harutyunyan as saying that the construction of the Stepanakert airport has already been completed, but the schedule of the flights has not yet been finalized.
"This problem needs humanitarian rather than political solution as each person has the right to move freely on the land and in the air," the NKR Premier said.
According to Le Monde, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan promised earlier that the Stepanakert-Yerevan flight would take place despite Azerbaijan's threats to shoot the planes down.
"If Azerbaijan opens fire, there will be a new war," Harutyunyan said, adding that Nagorno-Karabakh has air defense systems.