US urges citizens in Armenia to avoid Russian air carriers

The US has urged its citizens in Armenia to be careful and avoid using Russian air carriers.

The US embassy in Armenia made the statement in a security alert posted on the embassy website on September 8.

"Russian air carriers continue to operate in Armenia. The US Embassy informs US citizens that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has downgraded the air safety rating for Russia given that Russia's civil aviation authority is not in compliance with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) safety standards for oversight of Russian air carrier operations," the embassy said.

It added that "this FAA air safety rating does not apply to Armenian air carriers or Armenian-owned or operated aircraft".