Georgian airports serve 21% more passengers in January-June

Georgian airports are becoming busier by passenger traffic as the number of passengers who use Georgia's three main airports is on the rise, latest statistics show.

During the first six months of 2016 the number of passengers at Georgian airports increased by 21.33 percent year-on-year (y/y), said Georgian Civil Aviation Agency.

Figures showed between January-June this year 1,082,828 passengers took regular or charter flights from Georgia’s three airports; the Tbilisi Shota Rustaveli International Airport, Batumi International Airport and Kutaisi International Airport. During the same period of 2015 the three airports served only 892,468 passengers.

In particular, Tbilisi International Airport served 893,222 passengers in the first six months of 2016, which was a 19.22 percent increase y/y.

Batumi International Airport served 92,682 passengers in January-June 2016 – a 47.14 percent increase, while Kutaisi International Airport served 78, 859 passengers on regular or charter flights, which was a 21 percent increase y/y.

The data also showed the number of passengers had increased significantly for the following routes:

• Israel and Georgia – 65,759 passengers (87 percent increase);
• The United Arab Emirates and Georgia – 82,107 passengers (78 percent increase);
• Russia and Georgia – 202,000 passengers – (56 percent increase);
• Greece and Georgia – 16,084 passengers (155 percent increase)
• Ukraine and Georgia – 135,511 passengers (28 percent increase).

Meanwhile, a record number of tourists  visited Georgia in the first five months of 2016, said head of the Georgian National Tourism Administration Giorgi Chogovadze.

Between January and May Georgia hosted 2,119,275 international visitors (tourists, transit, other), which was a 15 percent increase y/y.

Of the 2,119,275 international visitors so far this year, 782,814 were tourists. This was an increase of 19 percent y/y.