ANCA Market Survey Indicates Solid Support for Non-Stop LAX-Yerevan Flights

Washington, DC – A nationwide consumer market survey conducted by the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) demonstrates strong and broad support for initiating a new non-stop flight between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Zvartnots International Airport (EVN) in Yerevan, Armenia. The ANCA market survey was conducted from May 3, 2019 to June 13, 2019 with over 2,200 Armenian American participants, primarily from California.

“The ANCA thanks the public who participated in our market survey exploring the demand for a non-stop airline route between Los Angeles and Yerevan,” remarked Zanku Armenian, the ANCA’s point person on the effort, who has years of professional experience in aviation matters. “We are encouraged by the results of the survey that addressed a number of critical questions that will be vital as the business case for non-stop flights between LAX and EVN is discussed in the months ahead. We expect that this ANCA market survey will draw the attention of airlines and government leaders and regulators in Washington, DC and Yerevan, whose leadership and support will be needed to establish such flights in the future,” added Armenian.

Among the key findings of the survey are that 97% of the respondents expressed a willingness to switch from their currently preferred airline to reach Armenia to another airline that offers non-stop flights from LAX to Yerevan. The survey also found that a majority of airline passengers would be willing to pay a premium (anywhere from $100 to $800) for non-stop flights to and from Armenia. The survey documented that a majority (58%) of airline passengers going to Armenia from the United States connect through Moscow (SVO), with the other top two connecting airports being Doha (DOH) and Paris (CDG).

Additional findings of the ANCA travel survey shows that only 7% of travelers to Armenia go with a tour group and that 69% of passengers book their own flights, with 31% going through travel agents. With respect to travel frequency, 58% of survey respondents fly to Armenia only once a year, while 35% take between two to three trips to Armenia annually from the United States. “Other data shows steady year-over-year growth in passenger traffic and tourism spending between the two countries which, when combined with the ANCA’s survey data, indicates it’s time to start having serious bi-lateral discussions about the clear potential for such an aviation link between the U.S. and Armenia,” said Armenian.

A full copy of “Consumer Market Survey Results: ANCA Non-Stop U.S. to Armenia Flights” may be accessed at: anca.org/lax2evn

The LAX2EVN.org travel survey is a project of the ANCA, which promotes U.S. to Armenia non-stop flights as part of its campaign to boost tourism, increase business travel, expand cargo traffic, and strengthen the U.S.-Armenia bi-lateral economic partnership.

The ANCA has called on the U.S. Department of Transportation to support a public-private partnership regarding establishing non-stop U.S. to Armenia flights, involving U.S. airlines and relevant government agencies, among them the Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, and Transportation Security Administration.

The Republic of Armenia, with its world class Zvartnots airport, has solid tourism infrastructure and is witnessing steady annual tourism growth. It is an increasingly in-demand destination for family, business, healthcare, technology, and education related travel. Armenia’s capital, Yerevan, is a growing financial center, home to a thriving business community with strong ties to Eurasia and the Middle East. Non-stop U.S.-Armenia flights would, in addition to saving travelers time and inconvenience, deliver financial benefits to airline carriers as well as material advantages to business leaders, commercial enterprises, and investors in both countries.

#####