Passengers on Upcoming Yerevan-Istanbul Flights Exempt from Air Tax

The Armenian Civil Aviation Committee has exempted passengers on the upcoming Yerevan-Istanbul flights from the 10,000 dram 'air tax' for 36 months (3 years). This information was reported by hetq.am. The corresponding order was signed by acting Committee President Mihran Khachatryan, as Committee Head Tatevik Revazyan is currently on maternity leave.

According to the Committee, on January 10, approval was granted for the Turkish airline 'Pegasus Airlines' to carry out flights between Istanbul and Yerevan, which will be non-regular (charter, seasonal). During the first week of February, there will be 2 flights (according to 'Pegasus' schedule on February 2 and 5), and from February 7 to March 27, there will be 3 weekly flights (on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays).

On the Armenian side, the 'Fly One Armenia' company has announced that it will start non-regular flights on the Yerevan-Istanbul-Yerevan route twice a week (on Mondays and Fridays) beginning February 2. Starting in April, when the summer aeronautical season begins, the Armenian operator will conduct 3 flights per week (on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays). The airline received the corresponding authorization from the Armenian Civil Aviation Committee in December and from the Turkish aviation authorities in January.

While 'Fly One Armenia' will provide a connection between Zvartnots (EVN) and Istanbul’s new airport (IST), which opened in 2018 and is currently the main aviation hub serving the city (previously, Istanbul's main airport was Atatürk), 'Pegasus' will fly between its base at Sabiha Gökçen Airport (SAW) and Zvartnots.

It is worth noting that in December 2019, the parliament amended the 'State Duty' law and exempted individuals from the 10,000 dram 'air tax' for 36 months when traveling on newly opened routes. The exemption is granted for flights that have not been served on the given route 12 months prior to their launch. A lack of service is considered a situation where the number of flights on the route does not exceed 14 during the summer season and 10 during the winter season. The summer season starts on the last Sunday of March and lasts until the last Saturday of October. The winter season runs from the last Sunday of October until the last Saturday of March.

Airlines serving the exempted routes must conduct flights for at least one year, meaning during both summer and winter aeronautical seasons. The government has also stipulated that the frequency of flights must be at least once a week or a minimum of 28 flights during the summer season and 20 during the winter season (exempting flights not carried out due to force majeure).

As travelers from Gyumri's Shirak Airport have been exempt from the 'air tax' since December 2014, it is clear that this exemption applies to those departing from Yerevan's Zvartnots Airport. Since 'Pegasus Airlines' meets the government's established requirements by conducting 3 weekly flights or a minimum of 20 flights to Yerevan (EVN)-Istanbul (SAW) during the current winter season, departing passengers will be exempt from the 10,000 dram 'air tax'. The relevant order was signed by acting Committee President Mihran Khachatryan on January 20.

Additionally, it should be noted that the Civil Aviation Committee has not provided any information on the exemption for passengers flying from Yerevan (EVN) to Istanbul (IST) through 'Fly One Armenia'.

Moreover, according to 'Pegasus Airlines' application, their flights will be serviced by Airbus A320, Airbus A321, and Boeing 737 aircraft, while 'Fly One Armenia' will utilize Airbus A320 planes.