Airline traffic in 2022 recovered by 85%, flights by 88% from pandemic - governing body

Passenger traffic for airlines operating in Georgia recovered in 2022 by 85 percent compared to pandemic levels, while the number of flights were restored to 88 percent of pre-Covid figures, the Georgian Civil Aviation Agency announced on Monday.

The governing agency revealed its annual figures that showed the country’s three international airports had served 4,441,316 passengers over the past year, marking a 78 percent year-on-year increase on the second pandemic-struck year of 2021.

The three airports received 21,430 flights, of which 16,290 were regular flights and 5,140 charter connections. The Agency said the number had increased by 43 percent over 2021.

It also offered a breakdown of airport figures throughout 2022:

• Tbilisi International Airport - 2,998,785 passengers (+78% y/y)
• Kutaisi International Airport - 796,063 passengers (+182%)
• Batumi International Airport - 616,885 passengers (+20%)

The numbers meant the following recovery in passenger traffic from the Covid-hit years:

• Tbilisi International Airport - 81%
• Kutaisi International Airport - 91%
• Batumi International Airport - 99%

Georgia’s rural airports also saw an increase in passenger numbers in 2022, the body said.

Mestia’s Queen Tamar Airport, in the north-western Svaneti region, served 9,385 passengers in the reporting period - an 83 percent increase year-on-year and a nine percent recovery from the pre-pandemic figure.

Ambrolauri Airport in western Georgia’s Racha region served 2,657 passengers, or 33 percent more compared to 2021 and a 35 percent increase on 2019.

Central Georgia’s Natakhtari Airport served 17,541 passengers, posting a 148 percent year-on-year increase and a 96 percent recovery from the pre-pandemic figure.

Leading airline companies based on passenger traffic

Hungarian budget airline Wizz Air is the leader in the Georgian airline market based on the number of passengers transported in 2022, followed by Turkish Airlines.

The top 10 airline companies with the highest number of passengers in 2022 year were:

1. Wizz Air – 13% (588,226 passengers)
2. Turkish Airlines – 12% (546,895 passengers)
3. Pegasus – 9% (408,780 passengers)
4. Belavia – 6% (243,620 passengers)
5. Flydubai – 5%  (227,612 passengers)
6. Azerbaijan Airlines – 5% (209,415 passengers)
7. Israir – 4% (197,109 passengers)
8. Flynas – 4% (162,462 passengers)
9. Georgian Airways – 3% (148,612 passengers)
10. Fly Arystan – 3% (138,939 passengers)

The annual statistics also showed 41 airlines operating in Georgian airports, with flights operated to 60 destinations.