ARMAVIA MAKES MONEY ON SYRIAN ARMENIANS
JAMES HAKOBYAN
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/engsrc/comments26880.html
Published: 13:54:20 - 18/07/2012
The developments in Syria sent Armenia into a difficult situation
relating to the issue of the Armenian community. On the one hand,
it is clear that it would be tough for official Armenia to express
a public position on the Syrian Armenian community, make appeals
to this community. On the other hand, Armenia should do something
through non-public channels.
While official Yerevan is thinking, Armavia Airlines has made up
its mind. The web, the press and the social networks informed that
Armavia has raised the price for Aleppo-Yerevan-Aleppo air tickets,
as well as does not sell one way tickets.
Official Armavia has not refuted this information.
Armavia, the national carrier, has recently been having financial
problems. Yet rumors came that Armavia is sold to the Russia-based
Armenian businessman Harutyun Pambukyan.
Apparently, Armavia needs to be dissolved, not sold, and a modern,
competitive and viable airways must be established which will not make
money at the expense of Syrian Armenians who have found themselves in a
difficult situation. And of course, the best option is to ensure equal
opportunities and competition on the market to involve new investments
and retrieve this business from stagnation and ensure compliance of the
most important infrastructure for Armenia with international standards.
As to Armavia's behavior regarding flights to and from Aleppo,
since it is the national carrier, the Armenian government is equally
responsible for it.
In this way does official Yerevan react to the issue of the Armenians
living in Syria, this is its proposal to the Armenians of Syria.
Meanwhile, Armenia was supposed to make other proposals to the
Armenians of Syria. It would be a more reasonable proposal to lend
them the shoulders of the officials of the Ministry of the Diaspora.
The officials of this ministry could carry them from Aleppo to Yerevan
on their shoulders. Apart from all, the Ministry of Diaspora would
thus have a justification of its own existence.