Image: Shirak Avia

A small Armenian-based carrier, Shirak Avia, has stepped in to restore regular air links between Yerevan and the capitals of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan — routes that have been dormant for more than 15 years.

Service between Yerevan and Astana launched today, April 20. Flights from Yerevan to Tashkent are scheduled for May, according to Uzbekistan Airports, the state airport operator.

The carrier is entering both markets cautiously, initially operating just one weekly flight on each route.

Shirak Avia operates under a full-service model and is based at Yerevan’s Zvartnots International Airport. The airline was registered in 2019, received its air operator certificate in early 2021, and was assigned IATA code 5G in 2022, when it began commercial operations.

The carrier’s primary focus has been flights from Armenia to destinations in Russia. According to Armenia’s Civil Aviation Committee, Shirak Avia’s fleet consists of three aging Boeing 737s — two 737-500s and one 737-800.

Armenian media reports identify the airline’s owner as Garnik Papikyan, who previously controlled Taron-Avia, a carrier that ceased operations in 2019.