US House rep praises ANCA-led Dialogue on direct LAX-Yerevan flights

June 1, 2017 By administrator

A senior member of the U.S. House Transportation Committee has warmly welcomed discussions between Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) and the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) regarding the establishment of direct flights between Los Angeles (LAX) and Yerevan (EVN), Asbarez reports.
Congresswoman Grace Napolitano (D-CA), a nationally respected legislator with a long track record of leadership on a broad array of ANCA-backed policy priorities, represents California’s 32nd Congressional District, home to the ANCA San Gabriel Valley chapter and a large and active Armenian American community.
“I am encouraged that the ANCA and Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) have begun a welcome dialogue on establishing a direct LAX to Yerevan flight,” shared Congresswoman Grace Napolitano. “As a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Aviation, I look forward to lending my support to this creative initiative to explore how to directly connect Armenia with Los Angeles. I commend the ANCA and LAWA for taking the first steps in this regard,” she added.
“The ANCA San Gabriel Valley chapter is proud that Congresswoman Napolitano is backing the ANCA’s goal of establishing a direct flight between LA and Yerevan,” remarked Levon Kirakosian. We are equally proud to have a long working relationship with Congresswoman Napolitano, which dates back to when she was first elected in 1992 as a member of the California State Assembly and her subsequent election to the US Congress in 1998,” added Kirakosian.
The Congresswoman, who serves on the Transportation Committee’s Aviation Subcommittee, is a leading national voice on aviation issues. This Subcommittee has jurisdiction over all aspects of civil aviation, including safety, infrastructure, labor, commerce, and international issues. All programs of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), except for research activities, are within the purview of the Subcommittee.
Earlier this month, the ANCA met LAWA officials http://asbarez.com/163029/anca-lax-discuss-establishment-of-los-angeles-to-yerevan-direct-flights/ about launching direct flights between the United States and Armenia, an ANCA policy priority that will – in addition to saving travelers time and inconvenience – substantially boost tourism, increase business travel, expand cargo traffic, and strengthen U.S.-Armenia bilateral economic relations. The discussions with LAWA Chief Executive Officer Deborah Flint and Deputy Executive Director and Chief of External Affairs Trevor Daley provided an opportunity for a positive and constructive exchange of views about the practical steps needed to establish direct air service between LAX and Zvartnots Airport (EVN) in Yerevan. The ANCA was represented by Chairman Raffi Hamparian and long-time community leader Zanku Armenian, who has extensive experience in the commercial aviation industry, having worked with each of the major U.S. airlines on bilateral aviation agreements and a range of aviation-related regulatory and policy issues.

The ANCA is calling on the U.S. Department of Transportation to support a public-private partnership regarding establishing 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. These direct flights would include both passenger and cargo traffic.

California’s 32nd District covers several cities and communities in the San Gabriel Valley, including: El Monte, West Covina, Covina, Baldwin Park, Azusa, Duarte, Irwindale, Industry, La Puente, Avocado Heights, West Puente Valley, Valinda, Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne and Monrovia.

Congresswoman Speier: Launch of Los Angeles-Yerevan direct flights is on agenda

November 19, 2016 By administrator

congresswoman-speier Major developments are expected in the near future in Armenian-American relations, US Congresswoman Jackie Speier, who is of Armenian origin, told the Voice of America Armenian service.

She expressed a view that Armenia-US relations have huge potential for further expanding and involving new domains.

As co-chair of the US congressional friendship group with Armenia, Speier plans to implement numerous projects in the coming year.

She said they plan to organize a large congressional delegation visit to Armenia, in a foreseeable future.

Congresswoman Speier added that the declaration of new sister cities between the US and Armenia as well as the launch of direct flights between Los Angeles and Yerevan are also on the agenda.

But the key pressing issue in Armenian-American relations, and which Congresswoman Speier hopes to resolve in 2017, is the reinstatement of the Millennium Challenge Corporation aid to Armenia.

She also noted that special importance should be given to the development of Armenia-US economic relations. But, as per Speier, in this new age of technology, scientific and technical ties should be developed more.

In her words, new prospects need to be reached in Armenian-American relations, in the new century.

Congresswoman Jackie Speier also stated that the American-Armenian community is stronger today more than ever, Armenia has an influential ambassador in the US, and the two sides should seize these opportunities and further develop relations.

USA: FAA Bans All Flights Between US and Turkey Indefinitely

July 16, 2016 By administrator

FAA ban flight USA The Federal Aviation Administration has banned all flights between the United States and airports in Turkey.

The indefinite ban took effect on Saturday in the wake of the failed coup attempt in Turkey that left 265 dead and over 2,000 injured.

“The FAA is monitoring the situation in Turkey in coordination with the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security and will update the restrictions as the situation evolves,” the agency said in a statement.

The US embassy in Ankara issued a statement Saturday warning that US government officials have been told not to use the airport in Istanbul and that US citizens in the country should continue to seek shelter despite Turkey’s claim that they have completely neutralized the attempted coup.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon says that US warplanes have stopped flying missions against Daesh in Syria and Iraq from the Incirlik air base in southern Turkey after the government closed its airspace to military aircraft.

Pentagon press secretary, Peter Cook, said Saturday that US officials are working with Turkish officials to get permission to resume air operations as soon as possible following the attempted coup.

Cook acknowledged that US Central Command was forced to adjust flight operations in the anti-Daesh effort to minimize the effect of the Turkish airspace closure.

US authorities are also blocking access on and off the Incirlik air base where American nuclear weapons stockpiles are stored until the security situation subsides.

source: http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20160717/1043140643/faa-erdogan-obama-ankara-washington.html

Russian MPs ask Putin to expand Russian flights ban to Tunisia & Turkey

November 12, 2015 By administrator

RT Russian MPs representing the Communist Party have written to the resident saying that the security situation in Turkey and Tunisia is just as dire as in Egypt, and therefore passenger flights to these countries should also be banned.

“We ask you to consider including the republics of Turkey and Tunisia in the list of territories where Russian airline companies were temporarily banned to deliver passengers by the presidential decree issued on November 8,” reads the letter signed by State Duma deputies Valeriy Rashkin and Sergey Obukhov.

The lawmakers noted in their message that the recent deadly crash of the Russian A231 airliner in Egypt could have been caused by a terrorist attack, adding that several leading politicians, including Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, British State Secretary Philip Hammond and Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon named terrorism as a very probable reason behind the disaster.

Rashkin and Obukhov said they proposed Turkey and Tunisia to be included in the ban because these countries are within the Islamic State terrorist organization’s sphere of influence (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL). “Seven terrorist attacks have occurred in Turkey in less than a year. Two coastal hotels were attacked in Tunisia in June,” the letter reads.
The Russian Foreign Ministry already lists some areas in Turkey and Tunisia as places not recommended for visiting. In Turkey this is the south of the country and in Tunisia – its whole territory “with the exceptions of safe tourist-oriented regions.”

Upper house MP Igor Morozov, a member of the chamber’s International Relations Committee, supported the Communists’ idea.

“Turkey and Tunisia remain among the few destinations of mass tourism today, but the security situation there leaves a lot to be desired,” Morozov told RIA Novosti. “The main task the Russian government must pursue through canceling flights to Turkey and Tunisia is to make the governments of these countries take a more serious approach to security in the tourist sector – airports, hotels and major places of interest,” the senator said. “The main task for Russia is to keep its citizens safe and not to replenish the state budgets of some foreign countries,” he added.

Plan B: Russia May Use New Aid Flight Routes to Syria Bypassing Greece

September 7, 2015 By administrator

Russia may use new flight aid routes to Syria if Greece closes its airspace to Russian aircraft, first deputy head of the international committee of the Russian Federation Council Vladimir Jabbarov said.

Earlier Monday, a source told Sputnik that Greece had received a request from the United States to deny Russian aircraft providing humanitarian aid to Syria use of the country’s airspace.

“This is an absurd move and if it is supported by Greece, it will be an unfriendly move toward Russia,” Jabbarov said.

On Saturday, the US embassy appealed to the Greek government with a request to prohibit the flights of Russian aircraft providing aid to Syria, however, Athens refused to do so, a source told RIA Novosti.

The Russian senator stressed that there Iran, Turkey and Central Asian states may assist Russia with regard to its humanitarian mission in Syria.

Commenting on the US’ request to close Greek airspace to Russian humanitarian flights to Syria, the Russian senator said that Washington “is afraid of any assistance that Russia is providing to the Syrian people.”

Jabbarov commented on Western media reports concerning Russia’s alleged increased weapons supplies to Syria saying that “the purpose of this campaign is to spark anti-Russian hysteria.”

The senator also noted that if the United States had the right to do so, it would have closed all countries’ airspace to Russian aircraft.

However, Russia can create new flight routes under international agreements, he concluded.

Syria has been mired in civil war since 2011 as government forces loyal to President Assad have been fighting several opposition and radical Islamist militant groups, including Nusra Front and Islamic State.

A number of Western countries have long supported what they call “moderate” rebel fighters, while Russia has repeatedly stated that Assad is the legitimate president of Syria, and that the people of Syria must choose their government and leaders without outside intervention.

In August, the Syrian president said that he highly appreciated Russia’s assistance, by which Moscow had proved its firm position in supporting Damascus during the military conflict.

Source: sputniknews.com