SEPT. 16 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) – The Russian Air Transport Agency said that Turkmenistan Airlines had settled its debt of $220,000 and that it will lift the flight ban on the Central Asian carrier. Two days earlier, the Russian agency had banned Turkmenistan Airlines from flying over Russian airspace and landing at Russian airports until it settled its debt.
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(News report from Issue No. 297, published on Sept. 23 2016)
SEPT. 20 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) – Armenian carrier ArmWings will start a flight connection between Yerevan and Brussels in December. ArmWings, which does not yet have a website, said tickets can now be purchased at travel agents.
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(News report from Issue No. 297, published on Sept. 23 2016)
JULY 19 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — Both state-owned Uzbekistan Airways and Tajikistan’s Somon Air have downgraded their links to Lahore, in eastern Pakistan, citing security concerns and dwindling consumer interest.
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(News report from Issue No. 290, published on July 22 2016)
JULY 20 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — Kazakhstan’s flagship company Air Astana reported a loss of $6.6m in H1 2016, compared to a $8.3m profit in the same period last year. Importantly, passenger numbers decreased by 7% to 1.7m. Kazakhstan’s sovereign wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna (51%) and Britain’s BAE Systems (49%) own Air Astana.
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(News report from Issue No. 290, published on July 22 2016)
JULY 5 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) — Turkmenistan and Georgia signed a deal to establish a direct flight between Tbilisi and Ashgabat from September. If the deal is realised, this will be the first direct flight route between the two countries. Last year, state-owned Turkmenistan Airlines said it aimed to open a direct route to Tbilisi.
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(News report from Issue No. 288, published on July 8 2016)
JUNE 27 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) – TAV Airports, a Turkish holding company that operates airports in Georgia, said it has started construction of a new terminal at Tbilisi airport. TAV said the project, which will include a new runway, will be completed by the end of 2017. TAV operates two airports in Georgia, in Tbilisi and Batumi. France’s ParisAeroport owns 38% in TAV, which is also listed on the Istanbul Stock Exchange.
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(News report from Issue No. 287, published on July 1 2016)
JUNE 27 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) – Luxembourg-based logistics company Cargolux Airlines International has received permission from the Turkmen government to increase the number of flights to Turkmenbashi, a transport hub on the Caspian Sea shore. Since July 2015, Cargolux has connected Luxembourg City and Turkmenbashi with eight flights per week.
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(News report from Issue No. 287, published on July 1 2016)
JUNE 30 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) – Kazakhstan’s flagship carrier Air Astana said it started direct flights to Iran, after it had delayed starting the route in May. From June 30, Air Astana will fly three times a week between Almaty and Tehran. Kazakhstan and Iran have tried to boost business ties since western countries lifted sanctions on Iran in January.
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(News report from Issue No. 287, published on July 1 2016)
JUNE 17 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) – Iran’s ATA Airlines flew to Azerbaijan for the first time, officially opening the new Tehran-Baku Tabriz route. The new route, which will operate twice weekly, is a sign of the growing importance of transport links between Azerbaijan and Iran. AZAL, Azerbaijan’s national carrier, also operates a direct flight to Tehran.
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(News report from Issue No. 286, published on June 24 2016)
JUNE 17 2016 (The Conway Bulletin) – The European Union published an updated list of banned airline companies, which included 19 Kazakh and 13 Kyrgyz companies. Airline safety is still below international safety standards in Central Asia and the South Caucasus, according to most aviation agencies. Air Astana, part-owned by British BAE Systems, is the only airline allowed to fly to the EU.
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(News report from Issue No. 286, published on June 24 2016)
