Monday, August 31 2015 09:51

 On 1 Jan 2016, LOT (Poland) will resume its regular flights en route Warsaw-Yerevan-Warsaw. "Armenia International Airports" CJSC has told ArmInfo that the flights will be made thrice a week. The planes will fly from Warsaw to Yerevan on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and from Yerevan to Warsaw - on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The sides have agreed to increase the frequency of flights during the summertime.        

"Armenia International Airports" CJSC recalls that the Polish air carrier suspended its flights on 1 July 2015 due to reorganization. Meanwhile, independent analysts say that the company left the Armenian market due to the lack of passengers, who prefer the Tbilisi airport services, because they are much cheaper than those provided by the Zvartnots Airport in Yerevan. Earlier a source close to the aviation circles of the country, told ArmInfo on condition of anonymity that the number of operating air carriers in Armenia has decreased from 35 to 27 since the launch of the "open skies" policy at the end of 2013. The source said that the "open skies" policy has been failed. It is quite likely that the number of airlines to operate in Armenia will keep decreasing. According to the expert, the "open skies" policy aimed at preventing the emergence of well-operating national airlines in the market. The expert believes it noteworthy that the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have forced the "open skies" policy to Armenia with former U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern as the policy's strident apologist.     

To remind, on October 23, 2013 the Armenian government approved the programme implying provision of competitive and long- term air transportation services in the country. The program is based on a joint study of McKinsey & Company and National Competitiveness Foundation of Armenia. The effect of the new policy appeared to be short-term. Nowadays there are as many airlines in Armenia as there were before the launch of the "open skies" policy.