365.82
5 minute read
Syunik Airport is currently providing a fast air connection between Yerevan and Armenia’s southern Syunik province, with the journey taking about an hour. The airport, however, is looking beyond domestic flights, with discussions underway to enable international service and potentially make Syunik Airport in Kapan the country’s third international airport, after Yerevan’s Zvartnots and Gyumri’s Shirak.
Syunik Airport currently operates exclusively domestic flights. With its existing resources and staff, it has the capacity to serve up to 50 passengers per hour.
“Together with our partners at Air Traffic Services, the necessary navigation equipment has been installed in Syunik, which makes it possible to significantly reduce the likelihood of flight cancellations. Aviation is a field where, one might say, nature always has the final word. Given that Syunik Airport is classified as a difficult airport, it is highly dependent on weather conditions. Our flights are canceled exclusively due to unfavorable weather conditions. We have not had cancellations for any other reasons,” said Karen Vardanyan, director of Syunik Airport and head of NovAir, the airline operating the route with its L-410 Turbolet, currently the only aircraft in its fleet.
Demand for the flights is high and tickets sell out relatively quickly.
“Since April 2025, our flights have been operating five times a week. Recently, on Mondays and Fridays, we have already started operating two flights per day. Given the current trend, we may move to two flights per day every day of the week,” Vardanyan said.
The 20,000-dram ($55) one-way ticket price may seem high to some, but according to the airport director, the fare can be kept at this level thanks to a subsidy provided by the Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine, one of the country’s largest corporate taxpayers, which operates a mine in Syunik province.
“We operate the flights for 20,000 drams, which is possible exclusively thanks to the subsidy provided by the Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine. During the Yerevan-Kapan-Yerevan flight, the aircraft consumes approximately 500 kilograms of aviation fuel, which currently costs around 400,000 drams. Taking into account the cost of airport services, aircraft depreciation, staff and other expenses, this has no connection with business activity. This is exclusively a social project,” Vardanyan said.
Although air connectivity currently has primarily a social significance for Kapan, another potential direction is being considered as part of discussions about the airport’s future: international flights.
“This process is being discussed with the government and our partners. Active negotiations are underway. Syunik Airport is largely ready to receive international flights. Following certain certification procedures, it will be able to serve international flights. Certain investments are also needed to meet international airport standards.
“A number of services need to be brought in, including customs and border control, and appropriate checkpoints must also be established at the airport,” he said.
During the Soviet period, Syunik Airport’s runway was 1,450 meters long. After reconstruction, when it reopened in 2023, the runway was extended to 1,750 meters, giving Syunik Airport the ability to accommodate larger aircraft.
“In particular, with an ATR-72 aircraft, which can carry up to 72 passengers, we can receive and serve flights to destinations in the region, including southern Russia, Georgia and Iran,” Vardanyan said.
While the airport cannot currently become a viable business project when operating domestic flights, there is potential for this to change with international flights.
Today, the Yerevan-Kapan flight is one of the fastest ways to travel between Yerevan and Syunik province. But reaching Kapan by air is not only a way to save time; it is also a unique journey during which passengers can admire Armenia’s landscapes, particularly the unparalleled beauty of Syunik.