Air Arabia Group, a leading low-cost carrier in the Middle East and North Africa, has partnered with the Armenian National Interests Fund (ANIF) to set up a new joint venture airline, Fly Arna. 

 

The JV launch comes following an agreement signed by the two companies in July. 

 

Fly Arna will operate as a low-cost passenger airline with Yerevan’s Zvartnots International Airport (EVN) as its base. 

 

The company will be applying for the Airline Operation Certificate in the coming weeks, said a statement from Air Arabia.

 

The name was chosen by the board of directors of the joint venture company from over 500 entries received in response to the airline naming contest announced in July.

 

The word ‘Arna’ is derived from the name “Armenian National Airlines” by combining the first two letters of the word "Armenian" and the first letter of National and Airlines.

 

The name was chosen to be most inclusive and reflecting the spirit of the joint venture company

to transform the aviation sector of the country, stated the Sharjah low-cost carrier.

 

Lauding the participation, CEO David Papazian said: "I thank everyone for the active participation in the contest. It is both inspiring and a sign of a shared vision of a successful endeavour we all aspire for the project."

 

"Despite the current challenges of the pandemic, we at ANIF are confident of the new opportunity that exists for Fly Arna to deliver a winning proposition that will benefit the nation and our people," he added.

 

Air Arabia Group CEO Adel Al Ali said: "The new name represents the aspirations of the people of Armenia and is the result of a national competition, underlining how the joint venture company prioritises the interests of the community."

 

"Fly Arna will mark the beginning of a new era for Armenia’s aviation sector, and also create significant value to the economy by boosting the tourism, hospitality and business sectors,” he added.-TradeArabia News Service