Armenian Airlines (1991)
| Company type | National flag carrier |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Defunct | 15 April 2003 |
| Fate | Bankruptcy |
| Headquarters | Yerevan , Armenia |
Key people | Arsen Avetisian (executive director) |
| Products | Passenger air transport |
Armenian Airlines () served as the national flag carrier of Armenia, established in 1991 after the country gained independence, evolving from the former Aeroflot Armenia division.
History
Until 2002, Armenian Airlines held the position of Armenia's exclusive airline, before private carriers like Armenian International Airways and Armavia entered the market. The airline maintained profitability up to 1997 but began experiencing a downturn starting in 1998. According to executive director Arsen Avetisian, this decline was largely due to the 1998 Russian financial crisis coupled with technical difficulties involving its sole Airbus A310. Armenian Airlines formed a partnership with Belgian carrier VG Airlines (which later became Delsey Airlines)—a company that eventually went bankrupt in 2002. Subsequent efforts to collaborate with Armenian International Airways were made; however, when Armavia (under ownership of S7 Airlines) acquired most of Armenian Airlines' flight permissions, including the vital Yerevan–Moscow connection, Armenian Airlines was unable to regain stability and ultimately declared bankruptcy on April 15, 2003.
In 2006, Armenian Airlines was erroneously implicated in a Black Sea aviation accident; this tragedy actually involved Armavia, its successor, which resulted in 113 casualties.
Routes
At its inception, Armenian Airlines operated Soviet-designed aircraft such as Antonov An-12s, Tupolev Tu-134s and Tu-154s, Ilyushin Il-86s, and Yakovlev Yak-42s. However, compliance issues arose when European aviation authorities banned these older models due to environmental regulations concerning emissions and noise. To sustain its European services, the airline procured an Airbus A310 in 1998—the first aircraft in its fleet not manufactured in Russia. This acquisition addressed safety concerns raised by foreign companies regarding employee travel.
The Airbus A310 played a pivotal role in maintaining daily flights to European destinations including Paris, Amsterdam, and Frankfurt. Nonetheless, engine malfunctions in 2001 and 2002 caused significant service interruptions. Repairing these issues was expensive—costing up to $2 million—and required sending engines abroad to facilities in Brussels or Toulouse. Within the fleet, the A310 was the sole aircraft meeting European aviation standards.
Fleet
When Armenian Airlines ceased operations, their fleet consisted of one Airbus A310, mainly deployed on European routes. The remainder of their aircraft included:
Due to stringent European Union regulations banning Soviet-era aircraft from operating within European airspace, these older planes were barred from servicing those markets.
See also
External links
- Armenian Airlines (Archive)