Flight delayed by technical problems not frozen runway

A departing flight from Tbilisi International Airport was delayed today because of a technical problem with the aeroplane not by the frozen runway, the airport administration says.

A Pegasus Airline flight to Istanbul, Turkey failed to take off this morning. The airline initially said it was due to heavy snow in Tbilisi. They reported the plane had skidded off the runway.

In respond to this, the Tbilisi Airport operator company Tav Georgia claimed a plane from another airlines departed two minutes before the Pegasus plane failed.

"This means the runway was in order,” the administration said.

Tav Georgia claimed the Pegasus flight captain said the plane could not operate correctly because of technical problems within the right engine.

An investigation has been launched to find out further details.

Pegasus is set to provide affected passengers with another flight.

Tbilisi International Airport operations are working as normal.