On 14 July, the Armenian President Armen Sarkissian received Chairman of the Board of Directors of UAE-based airline Air Arabia, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohamed Al Thani and CEO Adel Abdullah Ali in order to sign an agreement between the Armenian National Interests Fund (ANIF) and Air Arabia on the creation of a new Armenian national airline. 

Sarkissian welcomed the cooperation with a leading international airline and the creation of an Armenian national airline. He greatly appreciated the productive work of Armenia’s caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan, Chair of the Civil Aviation Committee Tatevik Revazyan and head of the ANIF Davit Papazyan in this respect. “Armenia is currently facing a very difficult period. We appreciate our friends who are with us especially at this stage and start new cooperation, new project in Armenia. We have warm friendly relations with Arab countries, and your presence in this project is the evidence of this. We expect much more projects and initiatives,” he stated. 

The country’s acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan noted with satisfaction that thanks to the months of close and consistent talks between the Civil Aviation of Armenia, ANIF and Air Arabia, it became possible to bring this ambitious program to life. Pashinyan added that the government is ready to support the effective operation of the airlines, which will foster the rise of passenger flows, attraction of new investments, development of tourism and providing modern and quality service in the aviation sphere.

Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohamed Al Thani expressed confidence that the establishment of the Armenian national airline and implementation of flights in new directions will give new impetus to the development of the Armenian aviation market. According to him, they consider Yerevan an interesting opportunity to expand air communication. 

According to Tigran Avinyan, an independent joint company would be established by the agreement, which will be based at Zvartnots Airport. The new national airline, as a low-cost airline, will foster the development of tourism and other interconnected sectors, while the cooperation with Air Arabia would make the program more attractive. “The creation of a new national airline will expand the opportunities of the citizens of Armenia for affordable and quality air travels. I am sure that this will be a successful project, the results of which will be visible in a very short period,” Avinyan said.

Revazyan noted with great joy that Armenia would finally have a national low-cost airline, highlighting that the national airline is created by the best aviation specialists in the world. According to her, it is difficult to create a successful airline, as this sphere is very competitive. That's why they hired the best professionals who share their vision. To the question of a reporter about the share of the Armenian side, ANIF Director Davit Papazyan said that the Armenian side will have over 50% of the shares, but Air Arabia would be the decision maker. It was also emphasised that the citizens of Armenia would then decide the name of the newly created airlime through an open tender.