The Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia Natia Turnava reiterated that she welcomes the possibility of restoring direct air links with Russia, however, the decision of the Federal Air Transport Agency to issue S7 airline permission to fly from Moscow to Kutaisi does not mean anything.
The Russian airline S7 received permission to fly to Georgian Kutaisi, it follows from the order of the Federal Air Transport Agency. The representative of the Federal Air Transport Agency explained that obtaining or extending an airline’s flight clearance is necessary so that if an air service opens, the carrier has the opportunity to start flying without slowing down.
“Everyone knows my position on this issue. We have repeatedly said that we only welcome if Russian official circles reconsider the decision and air traffic will be restored. As for the information on the decision of the Federal Air Transport Agency… this does not mean the restoration of direct flights. There are many formal procedures, but our air administration did not receive any notifications”, – Turnava said after the government meeting on Thursday.
Georgian-Russian relations escalated after Tbilisi protested the visit of Russian deputies who took part in the international conference of Orthodoxy. The capital of Georgia in June was overwhelmed by protests. Against this background, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree prohibiting Russian airlines from air transporting citizens from Russia to Georgia since July 8 and recommending tour operators and agents not to sell tickets to this country. Meanwhile, according to Georgian statistics, last year every fifth tourist in Georgia (21%) was from Russia.
The Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation reported that it would consider the issue of compensation to air carriers for the termination of flights. In early September, Deputy Prime Minister Maxim Akimov said that the Ministry of Transport had not yet submitted relevant proposals to the government.