The local Armenian news outlet Armenpress quoted the board chairman of the budget airline FlyOne Armenia as claiming that Turkey abruptly restricted its airspace to the aircraft on Saturday.
FlyOne’s chairman, Aram Ananyan, stated that the Turkish aviation authorities had revoked the airline’s license to fly to Europe through Turkish airspace for “reasons incomprehensible to us and without any visible grounds.”
Because of the sudden cancellation by Turkish aviation authorities, both our airline and our passengers were placed in an awkward position.
Founded in December 2021, FlyOne Armenia is a branch of the Moldovan airline of the same name. Ananyan informed Armenpress in February 2023 that the airline operated five Airbus aircraft and provided service to 14 different cities in eight different European and Middle Eastern countries.
Since the 1990s, Ankara and Armenia have had no diplomatic or commercial ties.
Armenia blames the Ottoman Empire, the forerunner of contemporary Turkey, for the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915. Turkey has been accused by Armenia of committing genocide.
After 35 years of closure, a border crossing between the two countries was opened in February so that relief could reach those affected by the deadly earthquakes in southern Turkey.
