PM announces plans for turning Georgia into “aviation hub”, developing Middle Corridor

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday told the country’s Parliament the Government’s ambition was to turn Georgia into an "aviation hub” in the region and serve not only direct flights but also “large flows” of transit passengers.

In his annual report on the Government’s work, the PM told lawmakers the goal would require having the “best, international-class airport in the region, which will also be a transit and logistics centre with high-level passenger and cargo terminals”.

He said the Government was considering two options for achieving the goal - expansion of the existing Tbilisi International Airport or construction of a completely new facility on the territory of a former airfield in Vaziani outside the capital.

He said the former option had “more disadvantages”, and added his team wanted to launch works on the eventually selected project in 2024.

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He also told MPs the Government would finance the construction of the long-delayed project of a deepwater port in the Black Sea town of Anaklia, with works beginning this year.

He claimed a “serious investor” had expressed interest in the project, without divulging details of the talks.

Garibashvili also highlighted the joint work involving governments of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan for the development of the Middle Corridor - a logistics route connecting Central Asia and China to Europe via the South Caucasus.

We have a specific roadmap, and we know exactly what Georgia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan should do in turn [to develop the route until 2027]”, he said, adding the roadmap included work for creating a “proper” railway, port and road infrastructure.  

Speaking about improving connectivity in Georgia, Garibashvili also noted an infrastructural reform aiming for setting up of modern bus stations across the country by 2025.