Reciprocal charter flights between Turkey and Armenia resumed

Reciprocal charter flights between Turkey and Armenia resumed yesterday amid the normalization process between the two countries. Making its first flight from Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, to Istanbul, the Airbus-A320 plane of Fly One Airlines took off from Yerevan Zvartnots Airport at 18.00 local time with 64 passengers. Aram Ananyan, Chairman of FlyOne Airlines, also took part in the first flight. While the flight crew and company officials of the plane that landed at Istanbul Airport at 19.50 Turkish time were greeted with flowers, chocolate was offered to the passengers.

“I INVITE EVERYONE TO ARMENIA WITH PLEASURE AND LOVE”

Ananyan, Chairman of Fly One Airlines, thanked for the interest shown for the first flight in his statement to the press. “The plane successfully performed its first flight on the Yerevan-Istanbul route. Soon passengers who will go to Yerevan will board the plane. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our passengers who trusted us. Thank you for the warm welcome. I would like to thank the Civil Aviation Administrations of the two countries. I would also like to thank Pegasus Airlines for starting flights. We are connecting cities and people again. At the same time, we attach importance to this flight in terms of the connection of the Armenian community in Istanbul with their homeland. I invite everyone to Armenia with pleasure and love” said Ananyan and at the end of his speech he said ‘Thank you' (Teşekkür ediyorum) in Turkish.

“THIS IS ALSO MY HOMELAND”

Gayane Bulhadaryan, one of the passengers of the first flight, thanked those who contributed to the resumption of flights. Noting that they have had great difficulty in going back and forth on the Istanbul-Yerevan route for about 2 years, Bulhadaryan said, “I want there to be peace. Let the past stay in the past. Our generations should not grow up with them. I want beauty and I always pray. Because here is also like my homeland.” Bulhadaryan said that her grandfathers were from Erzurum, that she had lived in Istanbul for 27 years, and that she had moved to Armenia for the last year. Bulhadaryan added that the resumption of flights was welcomed in Armenia regarding the future.

ABOUT ISTANBUL-YEREVAN FLIGHTS

Fly One will operate reciprocal flights from Yerevan to Istanbul Airport three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Pegasus Airlines, on the other hand, will operate reciprocal flights on the Istanbul-Yerevan route three days a week. Flights from Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport to Yerevan on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday; Arrival flights will be made from Yerevan Airport to Sabiha Gokcen Airport on Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday.