Tbilisi Airport to receive larger aircraft following upgrade

Tbilisi International Airport will be able to receive larger aircraft following an upgrade that has seen the construction of an additional lane and a taxiing pitch, the country's Economy Ministry announced on Thursday. 

The upgrades will increase both capacity and safety of the runway of the Airport and will reduce the take-off and manoeuvring time for aircraft, with other updates involving a modern signalling system, necessary for the “complete and proper” functioning of the airport and its runways. The Airport currently has six runways.

Levan Davitashvili, the Georgian Economy Minister, said the new runway would host large aircraft used for cargo transportation, pointing to a “growing flow” of cargo at the Airport. 

He also noted there was an increased interest from investors to develop cargo capacity in the country, saying the Tbilisi Airport had the potential to “play the role of a cargo hub” as part of the effort.

TAV Georgia, the operator of Tbilisi and Batumi International Airports, has invested $2.5 million in the project, with the works carried out by Georgia's air navigation service provider Sakaeronavigatsia and TAV Georgia itself.