Armenia incorporates FlyArna; set to begin certification

Armenia's FlyArna adds first aircraft, obtains AOC

Armenia's FlyArna to debut in 2Q22

FlyArna (ACY, Yerevan) will start flight operations in April/May 2022, the head of the Armenian National Interests Fund (ANIF), David Papazian, told a press conference in Yerevan last week.

"FlyArna will begin operations in April or May 2022. First, flights to about four destinations will be operated, then both the list of destinations and the number of airports will expand," he was quoted as saying by local media. "Then we will have two planes. And in a year (i.e., 2023), we will have 12 planes."

FlyArna is a joint venture between ANIF and Air Arabia (G9, Sharjah). The Emirati-based budget airline will provide the start-up with management and operational resources, presumably A320-200 jets. Given its co-parent's heritage, FlyArna will also operate in the LCC space.

Air Arabia Group to form a JV in Pakistan, eyes 2022 launch

Air Arabia Group has entered into a joint venture agreement with Pakistani conglomerate Lakson Group to launch a new low-cost carrier, Fly Jinnah (Karachi Int'l), with a launch expected in early 2022.

"We are confident that Fly Jinnah will add value to the air transport sector of Pakistan and directly contribute to the local economy through job creation and the development of travel and tourism sector," Air Arabia Group Chairman Abdullah Bin Mohammed Al Thani said.

Fly Jinnah will be based out of Karachi Int'l, where Lakson Group is headquartered. It will initially focus on Pakistani domestic routes before expanding internationally at a later point in time. The two partners did not outline further details concerning the start-up's fleet, network, or exact launch timeline. They underlined that Fly Jinnah would begin its certification drive shortly.

Air Arabia Group and Lakson Group did not specify the shareholding structure of Fly Jinnah. However, Pakistani control and ownership laws limit the involvement of foreign entities to a maximum of 49% of the paid-up capital, with effective...

Armenia's new JV with Air Arabia named Fly Arna

The Armenian National Interests Fund (ANIF) and Air Arabia Group have chosen FlyArna (ACY, Yerevan) as the name of their nascent joint-venture carrier following a competition in which over 500 submissions were received.

Derived from the term "ARmenian National Airlines", Fly Arna will operate as a low-cost carrier using Yerevan as its main base. In the coming days, it will apply to the Armenian Civil Aviation Committee (CAC) for an Air Operator Certificate (AOC).

Previous reports have pointed to the start-up launching before the Summer 2022 season using both A320 and A321 types. And while not officially confirmed, Air Arabia Group will likely have a 51% stake in the start-up.

Armenia currently has two scheduled passenger operators namely Armenia Aircompany (a subsidiary of Georgian Airways (A9, Tbilisi)) and Armenia Airways (6A, Yerevan). Other start-ups include Shirak Avia, NovAir (Armenia), and FlyArmenia Airways.

For its part, Air Arabia Group has AOCs in the United Arab Emirates (Air Arabia and Air Arabia Abu Dhabi...