Armavia
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Defunct | 2013 |
| Fate | Bankruptcy |
| Headquarters | Yerevan , Armenia |
Area served | Europe and Asia |
Key people | Mikhail Baghdasarov (owner of Mika Armenia Trading) |
| Products | Passenger air transport |
| Owner | Mika Armenia Trading (full ownership since 2005) |
Number of employees | 550+ (2005) |
Armavia () served as Armenia's national airline from 1996 until it declared bankruptcy in 2013. Based at Zvartnots International Airport near Yerevan, the carrier operated international passenger services connecting destinations throughout Europe and Asia. Its main operational base was Zvartnots International Airport.
On 29 March 2013, Armavia announced it had entered bankruptcy proceedings and ceased all flights by 1 April 2013, immediately halting all scheduled services.
History
Established in 1996, Armavia commenced commercial routes to Russia and Turkey in 2001. In 2002, it entered a strategic partnership with Russian airline S7 Airlines, which gained majority control via "Aviafin," a company associated with S7's management. By March 2003, S7 held a 68% stake in Armavia, while the remaining shares were owned by Mika Armenia Trading, a firm controlled by businessman Mikhail Baghdasarov.
In 2003, Armavia took over routes previously operated by the defunct Armenian Airlines. By 2005, Mika Armenia Trading purchased S7’s shares, acquiring full ownership of the airline. That year, Armavia carried about 513,800 passengers, generated revenues close to $90 million, and employed over 550 personnel. Passenger volume rose to 572,300 in 2007, reflecting a 21% growth compared to the prior year.
Passenger numbers surpassed 800,000 by 2010. On 21 April 2011, Armavia became the inaugural operator of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 on the Yerevan–Moscow route.
Following two years of financial difficulties, Armavia halted operations and filed for bankruptcy in March 2013, resulting in many travelers being stranded. Subsequent to the closure, refunds were processed for affected passengers.
Destinations
Armavia showed interest in launching direct flights from Yerevan to Los Angeles, but due to lacking appropriate aircraft, no further developments were announced. The airline maintained non-stop services to Amsterdam and Berlin.
Armavia maintained codeshare partnerships with several airlines:
- Aerosvit
- airBaltic
- Air France (SkyTeam)
- El Al
- Rossiya Airlines
- Kuban Airlines
- LOT Polish Airlines (Star Alliance)
- Transaero
- Ural Airlines
- UTair
- VIM Airlines
Fleet
As of November 2012, Armavia's aircraft inventory included:
| Aircraft | Quantity | Seating Capacity | Remarks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Y | Total | |||
| Airbus A319-100 | 1 | VIP configuration | Operated on behalf of the Government of Armenia | ||
| Airbus A320-200 | 2 | 8 | 156 | 164 | One lost as Flight 967 |
| Boeing 737-500 | 3 | — | 104 | 104 | |
| Bombardier CRJ200LR | 3 | 6 | 44 | 50 | |
| Sukhoi Superjet 100 | 1 | — | 98 | 98 | Launch customer for this model |
| Yakovlev Yak-42D | 1 | VIP layout | 27 | Used for VIP transport | |
| Total | 11 | ||||
Fleet developments
On 1 September 2007, Armavia entered into a multimillion-dollar agreement with Russia's Sukhoi Civil Aircraft to acquire two Sukhoi Superjet 100-95LR planes by late 2009, with an option for an additional two units. The first Superjet was delivered on 19 April 2011, marking Armavia as the launch operator of this aircraft type in commercial service. However, on 9 July 2012, the airline canceled its order for a second Superjet.
By early August 2012, citing concerns over reliability, Armavia decided to return its remaining Superjet 100 aircraft. Nevertheless, on 2 October 2012, the carrier agreed to reinstate possession of the initial Superjet, indicating a shift in its fleet management approach.
Incidents and accidents
On May 3, 2006, Armavia Flight 967, an Airbus A320 bearing the registration EK-32009, tragically crashed into the Black Sea while traveling from Yerevan to Sochi. This disaster resulted in the loss of all 105 passengers and 8 crew members aboard. The investigation concluded that pilot error during a go-around procedure was the primary cause, further aggravated by insufficient monitoring from the first officer and an inadequate crew reaction to ground proximity alerts. Adverse weather conditions and limited visibility also played significant roles. The aircraft was completely destroyed upon impact.