Russia removes restrictions on Georgian Airways
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Wednesday, July 19
Russia has lifted restrictions on Tbilisi-Moscow flights of Georgian Airways, Russia’s Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov has told RiaNovosty. The is the latest news coming from Moscow, as we informed our readers that few days ago Moscow imposed restrictions on Georgian Airways-Airzena flights to Moscow.
The RiaNovosty Russian news agency reported that the restrictions were lifted as Georgia reached agreement with Ural Airlines on flights from Zhukovski Airport to Tbilisi.
Georgian Airways announced that Russia had cancelled four Tbilisi-Moscow flights three days ago.
Russia’s Transport Ministry confirmed this information.
“This restriction has been implemented due to the fact that Georgia has not allowed Ural Airlines to conduct four flights a week from Zhukovsk Airport,” the Ministry reported, adding that Georgia must meet its obligations.
For now, Russian companies conduct about 60 flights to Georgia weekly, while Georgian companies conduct about 20 weekly flights to the Russian Federation.
Russia's flagship airline began daily direct flights from Moscow to Tbilisi in October 2014.
Direct flights between Russia and Georgia stopped in 2008 due to strained relations over the conflict in the breakaway region of South Ossetia.
In 2010, Russia's Sibir (S7) and Georgian Airways started occasional charter flights between Moscow and Yekaterinburg and the Georgian cities of Tbilisi, Batumi and Kutaisi.
In September 2014, Russia's federal aviation agency Rosaviatsia announced that direct flights to Georgia would begin again. Six other airlines were granted permission to fly the routes, including VIM-Avia, Globus, Sibir, Transaero, Ural Airlines and UTair.
The decision caused a stir with Airzena then, which complained that the entry of several Russian companies to Georgia would cause serious financial damage for them.
