Hungarian budget airline Wizz Air plans to station its fourth passenger jet at western Georgia's Kutaisi International Airport in December and resume direct flights from the location to Copenhagen, United Airports of Georgia Director Irakli Karkashadze announced on Thursday.
Karkashadze said a “significant agreement” had been reached with the airline enabling the Airport to gradually grow the Wizz Air base into a medium-sized base, which he called “essential” to continuing “sustainable growth and development”.
Evelin Jeckel, the Acting Network Officer at Wizz Air, said the agreement represented the “good cooperation” between Wizz Air, the Government of Georgia and the United Airports, noting “new future opportunities are expected” on the basis of “constantly increased” demand.
“We are discussing the relationship between Georgia and Europe and vice versa, as well as the relationship between Georgia and the European Union. Hungary is assisting Georgia in its path for European integration”, Anna Sikó, the Ambassador of Hungary to Georgia, said in her comments for the event.
Maia Omiadze, the Head of the Georgian National Tourism Administration, said the stationing of the fourth jet and increased flight frequencies would result in a “huge growth” in the number of tourists and prove “crucial” for the domestic tourism sector.
She said the upcoming summer season was expected to draw in increased numbers of visitors for a “remarkable and enjoyable” season.
The airline launched flights from Kutaisi International Airport after it opened its first Caucasian base in September 2016, operating majority of Georgia's direct flights to Europe from the facility.
The company’s flights to Copenhagen will carry passengers twice a week, with frequency of services set to also increase for other destinations, up to three or four per week for some connections.