Economy minister: Georgia's aviation will be fully restored from next year, continue to develop under high European standards
The economy minister noted that Georgian aviation would continue to develop under “high European standards” for the market to be competitive, sustainable and a “very important” contributor to the country’s economy “in the future". Photo: Economy ministry
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Georgian aviation has been recovering “intensively” and will be “fully restored” in 2023, the Georgian economy minister Levan Davitashvili said on Saturday after his meeting with Eamonn Brennan, the director general of Eurocontrol.
Within the framework of Davitashvili’s working visit to Brussels, he and Brennan discussed the existing and future relations between Georgia and Eurocontrol in civil aviation, with the economy minister stressing the importance of discussing “specific issues” with the country’s partners - management of Eurocontrol, as Georgia is set to become a chairing country of the organisation from 2023.
Davitashvili highlighted the importance of Georgia’s institutional integration into European structures for the country’s integration process with Europe, including the participation in Eurocontrol, which has been crucial for Georgian aviation’s development.
Photo: Economy ministry
The economy minister noted that Georgian aviation would continue to develop under “high European standards” for the market to be competitive, sustainable and a “very important” contributor to the country’s economy “in the future".
In his turn, Brennan said that Georgia’s cooperation with the organisation and all issues related to European carriers, airports, etc. had been discussed at the “excellent” meeting with Davitashvili, and noted Eurocontrol would continue to cooperate “actively” with the country, expressing hope to “see more European carries in Tbilisi and other airports of Georgia”.
Eurocontrol, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, is an international organisation working to achieve safe and seamless air traffic management across Europe. Georgia became a member of the organisation in 2014, which currently has 41 member states.
United Airports of Georgia is featuring in the World Routes aviation forum in Las Vegas to showcase the potential of Georgia's airline market on the international stage, the national body announced on Tuesday.
Passenger flow at Tbilisi International Airport recovered by 92 percent compared to the pre-pandemic 2019 figure in August, TAV Georgia, the company operating two major airports in the country, said on Monday.
European aviation closed out 2020 with 6.1 million fewer flights operated and over half the aircraft in Europe grounded, says Eurocontrol in its newly published paper called ‘What COVID-19 did to European Aviation in 2020, and Outlook 2021’ noting that Georgia’s air traffic decreased the most amongst European states.
If the vaccination process develops successfully globally and locally in 2021, air traffic in Georgia will return to the pre-pandemic mark in 2022 and will increase by 120%, says the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, commonly known as Eurocontrol.