Georgia PM meets Chief Executive Officer of Paris international airport operator to deepen ties

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia met with Augustin de Romanet, the Chief Executive Officer of Aéroports de Paris (Paris Airports), Paris international airport operator earlier today to deepen ties.

We want to create a plan to attract airline companies, create new routes and make Georgia a destination country for tourists,” said Romanet.

The importance of international flights and the development of tourism for the Georgian economy were noted at the meeting.

We discussed ways to develop tourism in Georgia. Georgian history and Georgian nature are impressive, we should attract tourists from all around the world,” said Romanet.

The sides also discussed issues related to TAV Georgia, the daughter company of Turkey-based TAV Airports Holding which is the operator of Tbilisi and Batumi international airports. 

The Georgian government and the Parisian delegation spoke about airport operation rules and the requirements of the Georgian government towards the operator including tariffs, infrastructure, direct flights as well as flight time management.

Aéroports de Paris owns 46.1 per cent of TAV Airports Holding, one of the world’s leading airport operators.

The representatives of the company said that Tbilisi International Airport has an opportunity to develop and serve additional 5 million passengers a year. The company expressed its interest in investing in Georgia and the wish to extend the contract with Georgia.

Romanet noted that the company is ready to send high quality specialists to Tbilisi and Batumi international airports to further develop these airports.

In 2019, Tbilisi International Airport served 3,692,202 passengers, while Batumi International Airport served 624,178 passengers, reports United Airports of Georgia.