Armenia’s Tourism Committee is negotiating the possibility of launching a direct Yerevan–Los Angeles flight, Chair Lusine Gevorgyan said during a February 23 press conference, noting that Turkish Airlines is entering the Armenian market and has significant potential to operate the route.
“I am always asked about a Yerevan–Los Angeles direct flight, and they [Turkish Airlines] already operate such routes and have that potential. I cannot yet say how they will proceed, but it is one of the world’s three most powerful airlines and can create the opportunity for a direct Yerevan–Los Angeles flight. This is one of the new destinations we are negotiating. I cannot say when it will happen, but it is in our focus,” Gevorgyan said.
She noted that Turkish Airlines has the operational capacity to serve long-haul destinations and that the Los Angeles route remains under discussion, with no timeline yet announced.
Turkish Airlines is expected to begin operating direct flights on the Istanbul–Yerevan–Istanbul route starting March 11, 2026. According to reports, flights will initially operate seven times per week, increasing to 10 weekly flights from May 14 and to 14 weekly flights from June 15. Turkey’s special representative in the Armenia–Turkey normalization process, Serdar Kilic, also confirmed on social media that Turkish Airlines will operate the Istanbul–Yerevan route beginning March 11, 2026.
Gevorgyan added that various airlines are planning to launch new direct flights to Yerevan from several countries. “A few days ago, I had the opportunity to discuss with the Ambassador of Latvia in Armenia the entry of AirBaltic into the Armenian market. In May, a direct flight between Yerevan and Riga will be launched. The countries of the Baltic region are opening up for us. Riga is a tourist aviation hub with extensive capabilities. However, very few tourists come to Armenia from that region, and with this direct flight, it is expected that more visitors will come to our country,” added Gevorgyan.
From June, a direct flight between Yerevan and London will also be launched, which, according to Gevorgyan, is unprecedented. The Yerevan–London flight will be operated by Wizz Air. News is also expected regarding China.
“The number of tourists from China to Armenia has increased noticeably. In 2024, there were 33,000 visitors, and in 2025, 45,000. At present, we have only one direct flight, which connects to an industrial city. If a direct flight from another city to Yerevan is opened, I am confident the results will be different. There is also an observable flow of Chinese tourists entering Armenia via land borders, for example through Georgia. We will be able to offer new regional tours in collaboration with Georgia,” said the committee chair.
