Georgian Airways Under Scrutiny Over Alleged Abduction of Former Ivanishvili Aide
By Liza Mchedlidze
Friday, May 30, 2025
Georgian Airways is facing intense scrutiny following allegations that one of its VIP aircraft was used in the covert transfer of Giorgi Bachaishvili, a former aide to ex-Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, from Abu Dhabi to Tbilisi. Bachaishvili's legal team claims this operation amounted to an unlawful cross-border abduction.
According to Business Media Georgia (BM.Ge), a Bombardier CRJ jet operated by Georgian Airways landed in Abu Dhabi on May 26. The aircraft allegedly flew with its transponder disabled for most of the journey, only activating it shortly before entering Persian Gulf airspace, thereby obscuring its origin. The plane allegedly departed later that day, again disabling its transponder mid-flight, making its subsequent destination untraceable via public aviation databases.
On May 27, Georgia's State Security Service (SSSG) announced Bachaishvili's arrest, stating they had received an anonymous tip placing him near the "green border zone" between Red Bridge and Sadakhlo, areas connecting Georgia with Armenia and Azerbaijan. The agency claimed he was apprehended during joint operations with the Interior Ministry.
Contradicting the official account, Bachaishvili testified in a Tbilisi court on May 29 that he was kidnapped abroad on May 24. He alleged that he was blindfolded, detained for two days without access to legal counsel or contact with family, and then transported to Georgia aboard a Georgian Airways Bombardier jet. His lawyer, Davit Jandieri, confirmed the use of the aircraft and described the flight as a "special charter." While withholding the exact location of the alleged abduction, Jandieri asserted it occurred outside the Caucasus region and without any formal extradition process.
In response to inquiries, Georgian Airways declined to confirm or deny the aircraft's involvement, citing privacy concerns. The airline stated that the government plane had been abroad for technical inspection and was not in service. They emphasized that all flights in and out of international airports are subject to oversight, making illegal departures or arrivals implausible.
Bachaishvili fled Georgia on March 9, 2025, citing fears of imminent arrest. The following day, he was sentenced in absentia to 11 years in prison on charges of embezzling cryptocurrency and laundering funds linked to Ivanishvili's Co-Investment Fund. Prosecutors allege he misappropriated significant sums in digital assets and cash during his tenure. He was ordered to post bail and was banned from leaving the country, a restriction he violated by fleeing.
