Armenia refutes reports about launch of flights to occupied Crimea

The Civil Aviation Committee of Armenia has refuted statements made by the occupation authorities of Crimea about the alleged launch of Simferopol - Yerevan flights in 2020.

"The Civil Aviation Committee of Armenia did not receive a request for Yerevan - Simferopol (Crimea) flight operation," the statement reads, PanARMENIAN.Net reports.

According to Crimea.Realities portal, a number of Russian and Armenian media earlier announced the launch of Yerevan - Simferopol scheduled flights in 2020. It was noted that Icarus airline planned to operate flights on Yerevan-Simferopol route and had received the approval of the Federal Air Transport Agency of the Russian Federation for seven flights a week.

The international flights to and from Crimea have not been operated since the peninsula was occupied by Russia in March 2014.

The European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation banned the flights to Crimea, in particular, to the airports of Simferopol and Sevastopol. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) officially declared that airspace over Crimea belongs to Ukraine, confirming that only Ukrainian State Air Traffic Services Enterprise should exercise control over safety and security at this site.

ol