Russian airlines ask compensation from gov’t due to suspended flights to Georgia

Russia banned direct flights to Georgia on July 8 2019.Photo: Russiabusinesstoday.com.

Agenda.ge, 04 Oct 2019 - 11:36, Tbilisi,Georgia

 Russian airline Pobeda has asked the Ministry of Transport of Russia to clarify deadlines on when they will receive compensation for the financial loss the company has experienced due to the Russian-initiated suspension of direct flights to Georgia in July, Ekho Kavkaza reports.

The agency cites the source as saying that the airline has experienced up to eight million USD in losses because of its suspended flights to Tbilisi and Batumi, which came after the June scandal in the Georgian parliament, involving Russian MPs.

Before the suspension of direct flights to Georgia Aeroflot, Pobeda, S7, Ural Airlines, Red Wings and Smartavia carried out flights to Georgia.

S7 said that they suffered up to nine million USD in loss, while a source from Red Wings stated that the loss amounted to three million USD,” Exo Kavkaza reads.

Russia imposed the flight ban after Russian MPs were forced to leave Georgia on June 20.

Georgians protested the address of Russian MP Sergey Gavrilov from the seat of the Georgian parliamentary speaker during the international forum – Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy early on June 20  in the situation when Russia occupies Georgian territories.