Sokhumi airport to be “handed over” to Russian company

A major airport in the capital city of Georgia’s breakaway Abkhazia region will soon be under the control of a Russian company, says a de-facto official of the breakaway region.

De-facto Prime Minister of Abkhazia’s puppet regime Beslan Butba told local media the runway and dispatcher service of Babushera Airport in Sokhumi would still remain Abkhazia’s property, while the rest of the airport would be handed over to a Russian company.

"At this stage we are searching for a company that will take the responsibility of this,” Butba said, adding Abkhazia had already received offers from several Russian companies.

The de-facto PM also confirmed Abkhazia’s will to become a "transit state” and restore rail traffic to Russia and Armenia.

Abkhazia is a Russian-occupied region of Georgia, which Russia recognised as an independent state in 2008 – a move that violated international law norms. Currently the region is led by a puppet regime, which is considered illegitimate by international society.

This week, Russia and the Russian-occupied region of Georgia signed an agreement on ‘Alliance and Strategic Partnership’, which the Georgian Government and the international community assessed as "a step forward to the Russian annexation” of the Georgian region.

Babushera Airport, situated 20km away from capital Sokhumi, stopped operating in 1993 following a civil war in the region.

Click here to see a multimedia story on what happened in Sokhumi in 1993.

The airport is currently only used for flights by the Russian Air Force.

Earlier this month, Moscow offered Sokhumi the option for Russia to help the region rebuild its airport and launch directs flights to Moscow.

In 2006, de-facto Abkhazia expressed its desire to resume international air traffic in the future, however the facility was not recognised as an international airport by the International Civil Aviation Organisation and flights could only be allowed with the permission of the Georgian Government.

Meanwhile there is another airport in Abkhazia near Gudauta, which serves the Russian military troops who are located there.