November 25, 2017 - 11:18 AMT
EU concludes negotiations with Armenia for new aviation agreement

On the sidelines of the Eastern Partnership Summit held Friday, November 24 in Brussels, the European Union concluded negotiations with Armenia for a new aviation agreement.

It is estimated that this agreement will bring an additional 87.000 additional passengers and will generate more than €16 million in the first five years. The agreement will improve market access for airlines, providing better connectivity, more choice and lower fares for travellers. More flights also mean more jobs and more wealth for all partners.

Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc said, "Today we are further delivering on our ambitious aviation strategy by taking our aviation relations with Armenia to the next level. This agreement will not only improve market access, it will also contribute to the highest safety, security and environmental standards. This is good news for European and Armenian travellers and businesses."

Besides market access, these agreements will establish a common regulatory framework, for instance in the fields of aviation safety and security. This agreement was negotiated by the European Commission as part of its Aviation Strategy for Europe, a milestone initiative to give a new boost to European aviation and provide new business opportunities.

The Armenian delegation, in turn, agreed to recommend its authorities to sign the agreement following the completion of the necessary internal procedures.

The European Commission is currently negotiating new aviation agreements with the Association of Southeast Asian Nationals (ASEAN), Qatar, Tunisia and Turkey. Once signed, over 75% of all passengers flying in and out of the EU, or more than 240 million passengers per year, would be covered by EU-level aviation agreements.