Yerevan and the authorities of unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh have postponed the opening of an airport in Khankedi (Stepanakert). The Armenian mass media report the airport to be opening, but not on May 9th as initially planned. They state that this is due to technical problems and is not connected with the critical reaction from Azerbaijan.
The Baku authorities heavily criticized Armenia's intention to open an airport in the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh. According to Azeri mass media, the airport is situated within Nagorno-Karabakh and belonged to the Azeri town of Khodzhaly. After the war between Azerbaijan and Armenia the airport was destroyed.
20 years later Armenia decided to reconstruct the airport and implement flights to it, even though this contradicts international law. At the moment the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh occupied by Armenia is declared to be an air-exclusion zone. To cancel the air-exclusion regime agreement is needed from Azerbaijan. Otherwise, all flights in this space will be illegal and sanctions might be applied against air companies.
It appears to be a big provocation. That is the only reason why Armenia aspires to revive air-traffic in the air-exclusion zone, while it is said that the president of Armenia, Serge Sargsyan, is set to be the first passenger of the first flight.
Yevgeny Krishtalev. Exclusively to VK
Karabakh: air-exclusion zone
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