Seven Armenian travel companies face trial over cartel conspiracy

In Armenia, the heads of seven travel companies are set to stand trial, accused of engaging in a cartel conspiracy. 

Their actions to eliminate a competitor triggered a major scandal when over 100 Armenian citizens were stranded at a resort in Egypt without return tickets, Caliber.Az reports via Armenian media.

The Armenian General Prosecutor’s Office filed a criminal case against the directors, accusing them of unfair competition. Investigators determined that the company leaders colluded to push another tourism operator out of the market.

Leveraging their connections, they blocked the competitor by refusing to sell airline tickets to the firm and prohibiting their partners from cooperating with it.

The resulting “corporate war” caused a collapse during the 2019 peak tourist season. The blocked company failed to fulfil its obligations to clients, leaving 130 Armenian tourists in Hurghada unable to return home as their transfer to Armenia was cancelled.

Government intervention was required to resolve the crisis. Funds from the state reserve and relevant ministries’ budgets were urgently allocated to organise special flights and return the citizens home. Total government spending amounted to approximately 53 million drams ($139,000).

In December 2025, prosecutors approved the indictment. Concurrently, the Ministry of Finance filed a civil claim seeking reimbursement of the state’s expenses. The court has already approved this claim, ordering the defendants to pay 53 million drams ($139,000) to the state budget to cover the evacuation costs.

By Jeyhun Aghazada