Over $250,000 Spent on New Design for Government 'Number One' Airplane

The new look of the government 'Number One' airplane has cost the state over €210,000 (approximately $250,000). This amount concerns only the marking of national symbols (flag, coat of arms) and registration numbers on the aircraft. The government airplane was painted earlier this August by the Czech company International Aerospace Coatings (IAC), a global leader in the servicing of both private and government aircraft.

According to NEWS.am, the upgrades for the airplane serving the Prime Minister took 10 days at IAC’s production facility in the city of Ostrava, Czech Republic. The government aircraft left for Ostrava on August 4 and returned to Yerevan on August 16. Photos of the modified airplane were already circulating on social media the same day.

The Prime Minister's service aircraft's new look sparked discussions, particularly in the Facebook domain. Many users noticed that the country's 'Number One' plane was repainted in the style of Aeroflot. Former advisor to the Prime Minister on aviation issues, Hakob Jagharyan, commented that the new design has no professional connection to the concept of painting an aircraft. “An airplane is not a gas pipe that you can write anything on. There is an absolute lack of idea about proportions, weight distribution of tail-wing-nose lines, and color balance,” he wrote.

Some users noted that the depiction of a wavy flag on the government airplane was inappropriate, while the small flag depicted near the engine section was hardly considered a design feature. Others found the new appearance of the aircraft attractive, emphasizing that the revised markings gave the plane a luxurious look.

The Czech magazine L+K (Letectví a kosmonautika), one of the oldest and most recognized aviation magazines not only in the Czech Republic but also in Europe, also covered the external changes of the Armenian VIP aircraft. The aviation magazine presented the color changes made to the 'Airbus A319' and provided general information about the flight history of the VIP aircraft.

Since its launch, the 'Number One' tail has been repainted five times. The Prime Minister's service 'Airbus A319' aircraft was manufactured in 1998 in Hamburg, Germany. After the production, the aircraft was operated for 9 years by British and Arab operators, before being acquired by Armenia at the end of 2007. Since then, the corporate class (VIP) aircraft has been repainted five times, two of which were as a government aircraft with national symbols of Armenia. The only state-owned aircraft has served Armenia's second President Robert Kocharian for several months, President Serzh Sargsyan for 10 years, and since 2018 it has served Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Apart from the design changes for the national symbols and registration numbers, it is essential to determine how significant this seemingly minor adjustment is for safety. Firstly, it should be noted that the paints used for the national and registration markings must ensure similar levels of protection.

The International Aerospace Coatings company, which painted the Armenian government aircraft, uses high-quality paints and advanced technologies collaborating with the world's leading manufacturers of paints and coating materials. In Ostrava, the company annually paints more than 1,000 state and civilian aircraft, including military and corporate ones. Typically, the government aircraft serviced by the company are painted with durable paints designed to last at least 10 years. The painting service is guaranteed for 24 months.

The established procedure for marking national and registration numbers on aircraft in Armenia is set by the Civil Aviation Administration’s decree on December 9, 2004. According to the decree, national and registration numbers must always be distinctly identifiable and visible. The painting of the aircraft must correspond to the coloring scheme indicated in the registration certificate, with exceptions allowed only in specific permitted cases, such as aircraft transfer or transfer to another operator. Any changes in the painting of the aircraft must be submitted to the administration for modifying the operator's certificate description.