Russian airline Azimuth and Georgian Airways are preparing to initiate Moscow-Tbilisi flights from next week – reports Russian publication RBC based on sources close to Azimuth and the Russian authorities. In addition, the President of the Georgian airline, Tamaz Gaiashvili, confirmed to them that final formalities will be ironed out in the coming days.
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According to RBC, Azimuth may start flights from Moscow’s Vnukovo airport bound for Tbilisi as soon as May 16, and Georgian Airways – from 18.
“It may be the 18th or slightly later. I hope we can launch flight in the next 10 days,” tells Gaiashvili Russian media. According to him, Azimuth is indeed preparing to initiate flights from next week.
The Turkish company managing Tbilisi airport, TAV, confirmed that both airlines have applied to them regarding the renewal of Moscow-Tbilisi flights. Azimuth will conduct 6 flights to Georgia every week.
According to Tamaz Gaiashvili, there are no obstacles to resuming flights to Moscow for Georgian Airways.
“Only planning is needed, taking all new circumstances into account,” he says, adding that ticket sales will be discussed at the beginning of next week.
Gaiashvili stated that Georgian Airways is a private company and cannot operate at a loss, therefore, they will work on promoting the Moscow-Tbilisi route.
Tamaz Gaiashvili does not see any grounds for altering the decision on renewing the flights – “Everything needs justification. Every reasonable person in Georgia welcomed the decision by Russia to reinstate flights and visa-free policy.”
RBC writes based on its own source that flights from Russia will be carried out by Russia’s own Sukhoi Superjet airliners, which are not covered by sanctions prohibiting their servicing in foreign airports. The said type is operated by Azimuth and another Russian airline Red Wings, which has already requested permission from Rosaviatsia (Federal Air Transport Agency of Russia) to operate the Moscow-Tbilisi route. According to a company representative, they consider Georgia flights interesting and promising, not only from the point of view of the tourism business but also for business relations and culinary tourism. Red Wings is also requesting permission for the Samara-Tbilisi and Kazan-Tbilisi routes.
As of now, a license to operate the Moscow-Tbilisi route has been granted to companies like Aeroflot (14 flights per week) and Nordwind Airlines (7 per week); both are sanctioned by the US and EU.
RBC writes that in 2019, before the banning of direct flights, Russian airlines transferred 590 100 passengers between the two countries and 900 000 in 2018.
Direct flights between Georgia and Russia have been suspended since July 8, 2019. On June 21 of the same year, following the mass protests sparked by the controversial visit of Communist deputy of the Russian Duma, Sergei Gavrilov, Vladimir Putin barred Russian airlines from flying to Georgia.
Russian President issued a decree ordering the renewal of suspended flights on May 10, 2023. On top of renewed flights, a visa policy effective since 2000 has been canceled and Georgian citizens will be able to enter Russian territory without a visa from May 15.
On an emergency briefing on May 10, the President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili called Putin’s decision another Russian provocation, which poses a great challenge to the Georgian Government. According to her, as long as Russia remains a global villain and an occupier of Georgian territory, such a gesture is untimely and inappropriate.
On May 11, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili applauded the removal of a flight ban and a visa policy: “I want to tell everyone that from a humanitarian standpoint, this was a very positive and welcome decision. Every decision that makes life, travel, and work easier for our citizens is certainly positive and welcome,” he told journalists, specifying that only non-sanctioned airlines and aircraft will conduct flights.
The European Commission urges Georgia, aspiring to become an EU candidate country, to align with the EU in its sanctions against Russia, including in the aviation sector, and be alert to any possible attempts to circumvent them. The press speaker of the Commission on Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Peter Stano, warned that Georgia should not allow unsafe Russian aircraft into its territory, stating that 95% of the Russian airline fleet is unable to maintain and upgrade their planes, which is essential to maintain the necessary international technical and safety standards.
The United States warned those companies operating in Georgian airports that serve the sanctioned Russian planes about possible sanctioning.
