January-November 2019: passenger flow in Georgian airports up 4 per cent

In the first 11 months of 2019, Georgian airports served 4,869,190  passengers in total, which is a four per cent increase compared to the same period of 2018, announced the United Airports of Georgia. 

Georgian Civil Aviation Agency (GCAA)  said that the forecasted growth of the passenger flow was about 16 per cent for this period, but following the ban of flights between Georgia and Russia by Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 8, 2019 the indicator decreased to four per cent. 

Putin implemented the ban on flights after protesters in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, tried to storm the Georgian parliament on June 20 when a Russian MP addressed a forum of politicians at the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy from the speaker’s chair.

In January-November 2019, passenger flow decreased by two per cent to Tbilisi International Airport, while an increase of the flow was recorded in both Batumi International Airport (three per cent) and Kutaisi International Airport (41 per cent).

In the first 11 months of 2019 Georgian airports served:

• Tbilisi International Airport – 3,470,438 passengers
• Batumi International Airport – 597,939 passengers
• Kutaisi International Airport – 791,356 passengers

Meanwhile, passenger flow increased in the local airports of Georgia. 

The number of passengers increased by 19 per cent in Mestia Airport compared to last year. It also increased by 20 per cent in Ambrolauri Airport year-on-year.

Georgian local airports served:

• Mestia Airport – 7,658 passengers
• Ambrolauri Airport – 1,799 passengers

GCAA says that in 2019 the growth of passenger flows in Georgian airports is expected to be about two or three per cent compared to last year.

Last year, Georgian airports served 5,033,323 passengers in total.