Airlines Azimuth and Georgia Airways plan to resume direct flights between Russia and Georgia by late May

Russia-based airline Azimuth and Georgian Airways are completing the “last formalities” before starting direct flights between Russia and Georgia later this month, says Russian state broadcaster RBC.  

The two airlines have already notified the Tbilisi airport about flights from Russia, according to RBC. A source for the outlet says that Azimuth is planning six flights weekly to Tbilisi from Moscow-area airport Vnukovo. Georgian Airlines Group president Tamaz Gaiashvili told RBC that his company hopes to resume flights “in the next ten days.”

The flights will be made by Superjet aircraft, which Azimuth operates, because they are leased by Russian companies and are not subject sanctions prohibiting servicing them at foreign airports, an RBC source emphasized. Another Russian carrier, Red Wings, which also has Superjets in its fleet, has already requested permission to fly to Georgia.

Direct flights from Georgia to Russia are also in the works.

On May 10, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an order on the resumption of direct flights between Russian and Georgia, which Russia had unilaterally banned in 2019. Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili condemned the order, but Georgia is a parliamentary republic and the president’s powers are limited.