This is a wonderful airport, BUT flight registration staff is totally incompetent. They often refuse to register on flight without any legal reason. It happens with Armenian citizens and foreigners, because airport staff doesn’t know visa rules for different countries. Shame on them, it ruins plans and wastes tons of money. This doesn’t fit an “international” airport at all.
Bathrooms remain abysmally filthy and this has been a problem for many years. Airport is obviously unwilling to do anything about it. I don't think the cleaning staff has the training or the supplies to do a proper job. At this point, probably the only solution would be to rip out the old stinky bathrooms and replace them. It's that bad.
One of the worst airport I've ever been. No drinking water. You have to buy it. Registration opens only 2 (or maby 3, you cannot know in advance) hours before departure. So AVOID for the sake of your life long transfers here. There is no charging stations in arrivals or departures area, where you will wait for the registration. But don't worry there's no comfortable seats too, so you couldn't use your laptop or even charge something. Cafés are more expensive than in the biggest European airports.
Transfer from/to this airport will be a real quest for you. There is no normal busses, just mini-buses (called "route taxi"), which you could pay only in local cash and which departures only twice an hour. The quality of driving is the worst that you could imagine.
it's a small yet well maintained airport. Definitely safe, only thing is the airlines do not accept the plastic wrapping on luggage done outside of the airport before you get to the airport. so be aware not to wrap your luggage until you get into the actual airport.
On August 7, 2024, in the early morning (around 5:20-30 am) the lady who worked at the entrance to all the gates was the worst airport employee I have ever met in my entire life. I had some problems at the check-in counter (which is another issue I would love to complain about - another worst experience in my life, with Pegasus airline) so I came pretty late, 35 minutes prior to the departure time. Somehow my boarding pass wasn’t working for the machine at the entrance so I asked the lady for help as instructed on the screen (see an agent, as it said). I started in English, and she did not intend to help at all and just asked me to wait at the corner and she herself helped other passengers pass by. I waited for a while and she was still not doing anything, so I shifted my language to Russian and asked her again “Could you tell me what the problem was,” and she, in a very passive-aggressive way, responded in Russian there was no problem and just asked me to wait in the corner again. I told her my flight was departing soon and I was in a rush and if you could help me, she responded with irony: “Then why you came so late?” I was infuriated but tried to control myself and solve the problem, so I went back to the check-in counter and told the staff there my situation. A lady came with me to the entrance to all gates again and explained to the aggressive lady there the situation, and they, IMMEDIATELY, opened the gate for me but did not forget to ask me to “WAIT FOR A MINUTE” and checked my documents.” I asked the gate lady what her name was and told her I was going to write a complaint, but she did not care at all and told me she had no name and I should write a complaint as I wished, so am I doing it now. This was not only my worst airport experience but also my worst experience in Armenia. I am a historian from the United States and I partly study Armenian history. I visit Armenia quite often and love this country and its people. I always say good things about Armenia to my friends so that they would come and visit. Now I have a new story to tell: the awful story at the Zvatnorts International Airport with the totally disgusting and aggressive lady who doesn’t have a name at the gate. I hope the airport administration will take my feedback as well as feedback from other passengers seriously and hopefully respond to my complaint, and, more importantly, seriously evaluate the conduct of its staff and investigate incidents like mine this morning.
The staff is always very friendly, they let children go ahead at passport control, they bring luggage quickly, and the airport is very clean, small, and compact.
It is clean, easy to navigate, and understandable! The staff is highly qualified and professional. Parking is well-organized, offering plenty of spaces for cars.
The airport has a good access to Yandex. Yandex logo is painted in front of the arrival where is the pick up point for the passengers in the arrivals hall.
Overall everything was great. Although I think that breakfasts could be sold a little cheaper, and ordering a taxi in Yandex.taxi is cheaper than looking for a taxi on the spot, there was some kind of wi-fi on the second floor that helped to do this.
Very small airport (6 gates total). Selection of Armenian brandy in duty free is excellent. Prices for everything (drinks, food, coffee) in two small bars (there's nothing else there) are ridiculously high, factor 2-3 from Moscow Sheremetevo airport which is not cheap at all to start with.
I can compare it to airports in Berlin, London, Kiev, Tbilisi, Sofia, Bansko and Bucharest and will give my 5 stars with great pleasure.
(Grade is only for building)
Zvartnots Airport is one of my favorite airports in the world. It's small in size, very compact, very well organized, and staff are very friendly. I always enjoy coming back home by using this airport.
Parking is too expensive and their parking machines don’t work properly, taking too much time to process. Hence, pay more than you actually spent time.
Not many places to charge the phone or laptop. This is essential in any modern airport. Also, it's sad the old terminal is abandoned. It is an architectonical joy and should be recovered.
A few tips:
-Don't change money in Converse bank (3.80 RUB) and another bank right after landing. There's a good exchange point in the waiting hall (4.2 RUB).
-Use Yandex.Go if you need a taxi
-There's a free Wi-fi
-There are a Ucom points if you need a SIM card
Armenia's airport is very cozy. A small airport but rich with visitors. I just hope that they will hire more effective cleaning staff, have cafès and restaurant inside the airport near the boarding area.
needs reconstruction. the border patrol area on arrival is too small. had to stand there for 3 hours once (not exaggerating). also the staff could be nicer.