According to the decision of the Interagency Coordination Council, the restriction on regular air traffic aimed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Georgia will be lifted from February 1, 2021. The Civil Aviation Agency of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia has already informed the airlines on this matter. In addition, the Agency is actively consulting with all air carriers both regarding the resumption of flights on desired routs during the rest of the winter navigation season and the directions and frequencies of the summer season.
“Due to the fact that the coronavirus infection rate in the world is still high, most countries, taking into account their epidemiological situation, still maintain unchanged sanitary regulations or periodically change them, which obviously influences the companies in their decision to continue or resume operations. Although it is difficult to predict development of the situation for the aviation sector, a number of air companies are actively expressing their wish to resume flights in/from Georgia. The lifting of restrictions on regular air traffic will enable us, together with the industry, to prepare for the active season, to make available the movement of our citizens from/to Georgia, and to facilitate the gradual recovery of tourism in our country,” said Levan Karanadze, Director of Civil Aviation Agency.
As part of the preventive measures against the spread of COVID-19 in Georgia, direct air traffic with the People’s Republic of China has been suspended since January 29, 2020. Since February 23, 2020, air transportation of passengers from Iran has been suspended. Direct air traffic with Italian Republic has been suspended since March 6, 2020, and all regular air traffic from/to Georgia has been completely stopped since March 21, 2020. The restriction did not apply to cargo, charter, repatriation, humanitarian, technical landing and aerial work flights. The process of gradual recovery of regular air traffic began in August 2020. Flights have been resumed to Munich, Riga and Paris. Since November, regular air services to Amsterdam, Vienna, Berlin and Doha (charter flights on these destinations were performed until November) have also been resumed. Along with that, charter flights to Istanbul, Athens, Warsaw, Kyiv, Minsk and Tel Aviv are scheduled.
