Georgian air navigation service provider dismisses reports on entry of sanctioned cargo plane, explains aircraft not under EU sanctions

Georgia's air navigation service provider Sakaeronavigatsia on Friday dismissed reports by several opposition-minded TV channels that a cargo plane under sanctions for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had entered the Georgian airspace last week.

Sakaeronavigatsia said Iran Air Cargo aircraft have not been under European Union sanctions, imposed in response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, and have been regularly performing flights to “71 destinations around the world”, including various  European countries.

• Georgian Gov’t dismisses reports on entry of sanctioned cargo plane as “fake”

In its statement, the navigation service provider explained that under the Convention on International Civil Aviation, also known as the Chicago Convention, the overflight of a civil aircraft, registered in another state, in the airspace of Georgia is carried out based on the flight plan and does not require any permission of the aviation authority.

Regarding the specific flight, [...] we would like to inform you that according to the flight plan received by Sakaeronavigatsia from the Eurocontrol [the European Air Navigation Safety Organisation], the starting point of the flight of the aircraft is Zvartnots International Airport, in Armenia’s capital city of Yerevan, which is a civil airport”, it said.