Moldova to start talks with Switzerland on agreement concerning air services

Chisinau, 9 March /MOLDPRES/ - The government, at a today’s meeting,  approved a decision on initiating negotiations with Switzerland on an agreement concerning the air services.  

According to the Transports and Roads Infrastructure Ministry, the signing of this document “will contribute to the opening of the air services market from Moldova and diversifying the destinations from the Chisinau International Airport,” and will also facilitate “access to markets of the western part of the Central Europe.”

The signing of the agreement will have favourable consequences on the observance of the international commitments which have been already taken by Moldova. The concerned document’s provisions do not run counter the Agreement on Common Aviation Area between Moldova and the European Union and its member states, signed in Brussels on 26 June 2012.    

Statistic data shows a significant increase in the flow of passengers travelling from Moldova to Switzerland. About 17,000 entries/exits have been made on the route Chisinau-Switzerland (Geneva, Zurich, Basel, Bern) in the last 12 months, all of them made only through connections. “A direct flight to Switzerland will certainly increase this figure, at the same time, offering passengers the comfort of a non-stop flight,” reads an information note annexed to the draft.    

The Transports Ministry proposes to operate flights to Switzerland two or three times per week and AIR Moldova has already showed intention to initiate flights to Geneva starting from next April.

(Reporter V. Bercu, editor M. Jantovan)