VIDEO: "1 hour turned into 2, 3, 4" – Why journalists did not depart for Istanbul, "FlyOne Armenia" explains

Today, a group of journalists was scheduled to depart for Istanbul at the invitation of the "Hrant Dink" Foundation to cover the elections. However, FLY ONE ARMENIA informed us at the last moment, near the aircraft door, that there was a technical issue and the flight was delayed by about an hour.

That one hour turned into 2, 3, 4, during which the company did not provide any clarification on whether the flight would ultimately take place. Those who could not tolerate the wait left, and the waiting journalists only received water from "Sil" after raising a commotion. Eventually, it was announced that the flight would supposedly take place 24 hours later than scheduled. Journalist Karlen Aslanyan wrote about this on his Facebook page and shared a video.

“Dozens of people lost tickets to other directions from Istanbul and hotel payments. The company only promises to refund the cost of the canceled/delayed ticket within a month. There was no word of apology or regret. The last passengers who were left in despair at the airport were offered transportation home or a hotel in Ejmiatsin only after our request. As a company representing 'Your national airline,' it has been involved in such stories almost daily since its launch. Has any state body initiated a procedure in response to the complaints and alerts, or does this company have a privileged status?” the journalist wrote.

Auroranews contacted the airline for further details. An employee specifically stated that the Yerevan-Istanbul-Yerevan flight scheduled for May 13 of this year has been delayed due to a technical malfunction of the aircraft until May 14 at 00:20. At this time, the malfunction has been resolved, and the flight will take place according to the newly announced schedule. Information about the delay and the flight status was communicated to all passengers of the Yerevan-Istanbul-Yerevan flight.

In response to inquiries, the airline also noted that they could not use another aircraft for the flight due to restrictions imposed by Turkey's aviation authorities allowing only a limited number of aircraft. According to aviation regulations, passengers were provided with water three hours after the flight delay.

All passengers in need of accommodation in both Yerevan and Istanbul were provided with hotels until their flight is executed. The airline is reviewing videos posted on social media regarding the flight and will draw appropriate conclusions from them. The airline asks for passengers' forgiveness for the inconvenience caused.