Georgian Airways will launch transit flights for Russians via Tbilisi to Europe, Tamaz Gaiashvili, the airline’s founder, told Russian media. The plans include five European cities: Milan, Paris, Vienna, Larnaca, Thessaloniki.
“We will start on June 15. Let’s see how it goes. But we believe there will be sufficient demand on these routes. It will be more convenient and faster through Tbilisi than in other directions,” Tamaz Gaiashvili told Russian media.
The airline’s founder added that, according to Georgian Airways’ forecast, the flow of passengers between Russia and Georgia will gradually recover.
“Naturally, we will maintain air communication with Russia. Nothing will happen to that. The Georgian government welcomed this decision very warmly. God grant it will never be interrupted again,” he added.
The ban on Russian airline flights to Georgia has been in effect since 2019. It was shot on May 15, 2023. On the same day, Russia canceled the visa regime for Georgian citizens.
These events provoked opposition protests in Tbilisi and Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili announced a boycott of Georgian Airways due to the resumption of flights to Moscow.
Gaiashvili confirmed to Russian media that the airline, for its part, refuses to serve Zurabishvili. “No one will fly with us anymore. The company has made such a decision and it will continue to do so,” he said.
The Georgian Airways founder admitted that demand continued to grow slightly. “I think it will take time, publicity, for people to know it exists, and then I think passengers will go,” Gaiashvili explained. He added that the flow will gradually increase, because “now they understand that direct flights have resumed, and everyone is slowly moving to direct flights”.
Whole Anastasia
Read the Latest Ukraine War News on The Eastern Herald.
