Armenia’s sole domestic airline shuts down flights for months

By Alexander Pracht

Armenia’s NovAir airline suspended flights between Yerevan and Kapan starting Tuesday, citing the need for maintenance of its sole aircraft. 

“The aircraft requires scheduled servicing to guarantee safe operations, and this process may take as long as four months,” the airline’s director Karen Vardanyan explained.

NovAir, founded in 2020, operates only one route between Yerevan and the southern town of Kapan. Flights there launched in 2023 after the local airport was reconstructed, marking the revival of Armenia’s sole functioning domestic air link. During the Soviet Union, Armenia had a developed network of regional routes, but after independence most airports were abandoned.

The airline was acquired in April by the Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine, the country’s largest mining company, which also owns 50% of Kapan Airport, with the remainder held by a regional state fund. However, ticket sales remain inaccessible online, raising concerns about transparency and public availability. The ownership structure further suggests the service may primarily cater to corporate needs related to the mine rather than develop into a broader regional transport system for the public.

Novair’s operations were also suspended in February for several weeks while its only aircraft, a Let L-410, underwent scheduled maintenance in Czechia.