Dark clouds are gathering over the Moldovan airline Fly One, which owns 46% of the Armenian airline Fly One Armenia. The Moldovan carrier is being forced to change its owners.
It should be noted that Fly One Armenia was founded in March 2021, and flights began in December of the same year. Initially, 46% of the carrier belonged to the Moldovan Fly One, while the remaining 54% was controlled by the circle of former Armenian parliament member and businessman Khachatur Sukiasyan. Currently, 50% of Fly One Armenia belongs to Edward Sukiasyan, the brother of the former official, while the remaining 4% is owned by the airline's CEO Aram Khachatryan:
According to the Aviation Law, at least 51% of an airline holding an operator's certificate (OShV - a fundamental document granting the right to engage in commercial activities in civil aviation) must belong to citizens of Armenia or legal entities registered in Armenia:
Who are the owners of Fly One
As for the Moldovan airline, it was founded in September 2015 and received its OShV from the Moldovan authorities in March 2016. Fly One has subsidiaries in Armenia, Romania, and Uzbekistan:
40% of the company belongs to the wife of former Moldovan Minister of Justice Vladimir Chebotar, and 10% to the former official's sister:
V. Chebotar worked from 2006 to 2011 in Moldova's national carrier Air Moldova and headed the civil aviation authority from 2011 to 2013:
The remaining 50% of Fly One belongs to the family of former head of Moldova's civil aviation Mircea Maleca:
What problems is Fly One facing
This June, it became known that the Council for Investment Research (CEIISS), significant for Moldova's national security, decided to change the control over Fly One:
The Council has repeatedly requested information and documents regarding financial transactions between Fly One and Fly One Armenia, investment structure, and beneficial owners:
Fly One continues to operate regular flights and fulfill its obligations to passengers, partners, and other economic entities:
What is the connection to oligarch Plahotniuc
Moldovan media immediately recalled the wealthy oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc, who was close to Vladimir Chebotar:
The Moldovan oligarch is currently under sanctions from the US, EU, and Canada:
In April 2026, a Moldovan court sentenced V. Plahotniuc to 19 years in prison for leading a criminal organization, money laundering, and fraud:
