Armenian government-owned investment fund ANIF disclosed the name of a new national airline which will be launched in a joint venture with Air Arabia Group, the low-cost carrier of the United Arab Emirates.
Armenia’s new national carrier will be called Fly Arna.
The name was picked from 500 proposals in a naming competition. Launched in July 2021, the competition attracted over 800 participants.
The winning option, Fly Arna, is derived from “Armenian National Airlines” by combining the first two letters of the country‘s name and the word “airlines”.
The new airline’s name should also reflect “a new era in the growth of the Armenian aviation sector and will contribute to the nation’s tourism, hospitality and business sectors,” written in according to the ANIF statement dated September 1, 2021.
“The new name represents the aspirations of the people of Armenia and is the result of a national competition, underlining how the joint venture company prioritizes the interests of the community,“ the CEO of Air Arabia Adel Al Ali explained.
A joint venture between the ANIF and Air Arabia Group was set up in July 2021. Fly Arna will operate as a low-cost air carrier from its home base at Yerevan’s Zvartnots International Airport (EVN). So far, neither the ANIF, nor Air Arabia has disclosed any other details regarding a potential airline’s launch date, fleet, or network.
Fly Arna is now expected to apply for the Airline Operation Certificate “in the coming weeks”, according to the fund.