Turkish Airlines to Launch Regular Flights to Armenia

The Turkish national air carrier Turkish Airlines will start operating regular flights to Armenia in the near future. The news of this event, which could be a turning point in the relations between the two countries, was confirmed by Sargis Khandanyan, the chairman of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia. This is seen not only as a commercial but also as a significant political development after decades of deadlock. As Khandanyan noted, the entry of Turkish Airlines into the Armenian market has been discussed for about a decade, but each time the process was halted for purely political reasons. The Turkish side's position hindered the operations of one of the world's largest airlines in Armenia. However, the situation began to change as a result of the renewed dialogue between the special envoys of Armenia and Turkey.

"In the statement released following the last meeting of the special representatives, it was mentioned that cooperation in the aviation sector needs to be activated. And now we see that Turkish Airlines has announced upcoming flights to Yerevan," Khandanyan emphasized, directly linking this decision to diplomatic processes. This could be one of the first visible and tangible results of the normalization process.

It is not yet known exactly when the flights will start. There are a number of technical, legal, and licensing issues that require resolution. Nevertheless, according to the MP, it will happen in the "near future," which indicates the positive dynamics of the process.

Moreover, this development is viewed in the general context of bilateral relations. According to Sargis Khandanyan, there are no obstacles to the normalization of relations between the two countries. He stressed that official Yerevan expects active and constructive steps from the Turkish side to advance the process aimed at the full normalization of relations.

It should be recalled that at the end of September, Turkish Airlines officially confirmed its intention to start flights to the capital of Armenia, inspiring hope that economic ties could pave the way for a broader political dialogue.