In our aviation processes acquired interesting developments. First Zvartnots airport refused to serve the flights of Armavia for several hours. And yesterday Armavia delayed one of its flights for an hour. It delayed the flights in protest of the defined high prices of Zvartnots. The protest of high prices is threatening to become our national trait. Everybody complains – oligarchs and sun flower seed seller old ladies. Indeed the protest of the oligarchs is most heard. It is the most heard and expected. “Armavia didn’t give money. And we won’t serve its flights,” stated the representative of Zvartnots airport. “I am not going to,” stated Armavia owner Mikhail Baghdasarov. He objected and explained that at Zvartnots airport fees are three times more expensive than in Moscow airports, one and a half times more expensive than in Paris airports, two and a half times more expensive than Rome airport. Baghdasarov also added that Zvartnots doesn’t give any privileges to the national airline – Armavia. Armavia, which monthly does over 400 flights has to pay as much in Zvartnots as other airlines, which monthly have 4-5 flights. “Moreover, the airport sells the fuel at 150 dollars higher price,” he continued his complaint about prices. You should agree that this is a great picture. Two, almost monopolist companies are complaining from each other. They complain from each other and the set prices. And this is done in the case when Yerevan-Moscow flight costs as much as Moscow-New York-Moscow roundtrip flight. Our national transporter has for years taken advantage from the high prices due to the fact of Armenia’s blockade. It is a well-known thing. We Armenians are spread all over the world. Despite this we love our land and make sure that we visit Armenia at least once a year to see our relatives or invite the latter to come see us. Indeed Armavia should have benefited from this feature of ours by trying to make super profits over years. Therefore, it had to periodically increase the ticket fares. And so now the national transporter has found a scrape goat – by explaining the high prices of its tickets with the accommodation fees of the airport. And so these two companies have conflicts. So they one by one raise the prices; they delay and cancel flights. Baghdasarov says that for the past four years Armavia holds negotiations with Zvartnots management in vain. “And the management of the airport consider themselves almighty and think they can pressure us,” says Baghdasarov. And the management of the airport in its turn says that their prices have not changed since 2005. According to Baghdasarov they monthly pay 4-8 million USD to the airport for their flight (the national transporter is probably not aware that the national currency of Armenia is AMD). He says and clarifies that they pay the money at the end of the month, which means that they still have time. “The debt is not for one month but for three months,” opposes Zvartnots management. Nonetheless, Armavia doesn’t agree to cooperate with Zvartnots under these prices. It doesn’t agree because the harboring of our planes in foreign airports costs cheaper than in Zvartnots. “We get to receive our services abroad, for example fuel because it’s cheaper there.” The argument of the two monopolists is news to us. I don’t remember a precedent like that. It is hard to assess whether this is an economic argument or there are other reasons on the ground at this stage. Recently there were once again rumors circulating that Baghdasarov is planning to sell his company. The owner refuted this rumor, by mentioning that the company is not for sale and that vice versa they are going to expand the geography of flights. And indeed the enemies of our nation are not admired about this. But the political context is not understandable either. Who will suffer from the argument of the two companies? This is indeed a rhetoric question. Each of these companies is trying to delay the flights. And none of them is going to compensate for the time of the passengers, nerves and other means. In this matter the RA citizens cannot expect the support of their government. This is not the first year and first precedent. We have long ago become the hostage of the national aviation.
