New airfield will improve access to Georgia’s iconic Tusheti region

Georgia is working hard to improve its rural aviation infrastructure by injecting new life into several of the country’s old airports to improve access to hard-to-reach areas.

After starting to develop Ambrolauri airfield in Racha region, now efforts were underway to upgrade Omalo airfield.

This old airfield is located in Omalo village, in Georgia’s historical Tusheti region, however administratively the village is part of the Akhmeta municipality in the Kakheti wine region.

The village lies between the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range and the Pirikita Range of Tusheti and is reasonably hard to reach, with snow limiting access in the winter.

At today’s Government meeting authorities decided it was time to start designing the airfield at Omalo village.

We want to create as many airfields in Georgia as possible to benefit local residents and tourists. This will create more jobs and bring more income to families,” said Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili.

This airfield development concentrates on Tusheti region - a gem of Georgia in terms of its spectacular cultural heritage. These efforts are important in view of tourism development and ensuring national security,” he added.

The Prime Minister hoped the designs to build a runway and airport in Omalo would be finalised in the near future.

Other efforts were underway to make it easier and safer to travel to Tusheti’s mountain area. The Government earlier announced the road leading to the region will be rehabilitated and modernised. Currently this road is among the world’s most dangerous roads, but soon this will change.

Developing airfields in Omalo and Ambrolauri was part of the country's Spatial Arrangement Plan that would modernise infrastructural development in Georgia and transform the country into a modern, 21st Century prosperous place.

Last year a group of specialists from the Georgian Civil Aviation Agency (GCAA) studied the conditions of Georgia’s inactive airfields, heliport and runways located in different parts of the country. As a result the GCAA found four airfields had the potential for revival.

The four airfields earmarked for upgrades were Ingiri, Omalo, Chikhareshi and Ambrolauri airfields.

As of today construction of the terminal at Ambrolauri was in full swing. The facility will be built by the New Year. 

The airfield already enjoyed an upgraded runway. Prime Minister Kvirikashvili was the first passenger who landed on new runway at Ambrolauri airfield earlier this month.