Armavia employees demand unpaid salaries
Some 50 employees of Armenian businessman Mikhail Bagdasarov's Armavia Airline Company, the country's only carrier that launched bankruptcy procedures earlier this year, due to grave financial problems, are rallying outside the presidential residence demanding their unpaid salaries.
The angered ralliers say they have not received salaries since November 2012. The former employees of the recently bankrupted company believe that the problem can be solved only by Serzh Sargsyan.
They have already addressed several letters to the country's leader but to no avail. As the protesting employees say the response was sent to Armavia Company. This was followed by Mikhail Bagdasarov calling the employees to his office and promising to pay all those who had signed the letter [sent to Serzh Sargsyan] later than the other employees.
The employees are going to continue protests if the issue is not tackled.
A1+'s correspond reports from the ground that the employees are heading for the Central Office of Armavia Company.
Armenia's last national airline, Armavia, has ceased operations on April 1, 2013, over grave financial problems. in a statement released later on the day, the Company linked its inability to pay debts to the consequences of the world economic crisis that has hit the aviation industry hard and has caused the bankruptcy or liquidation of several major carriers such as American Airlines and Russia's Kuban.
Founded in 1996 by Armenian businessman Mikhail Bagdasarov, Armavia owns one Airbus A320, three Boeing 737, and four medium-range planes.
The Company served 48 destinations in Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Armavia's bankruptcy leaves Armenia without a national air carrier, since the other state-owned carrier, Armenian Airlines, went bankrupt in 2003.
