Flights from all three international airports of Georgia will be operated only by those airlines and aircraft from Russia that are not on the sanctioned list for the country’s invasion of Ukraine last year, the United Airports of Georgia said on Monday, as Russia resumes direct flights with Georgia starting today. 

“Due to high public interest, we would like to reiterate that the decision applies to all international airports of Georgia - Shota Rustaveli Tbilisi International Airport, Davit Agmashenebeli Kutaisi International Airport and Aleksandre Kartveli Batumi International Airport. We will clarify once again that flights to the airports will be performed only by those airlines and aircraft that have not been affected by the sanctions. There will be no different approaches between any international airports”, said the agency. 

Russia last week announced it lifted a ban on direct flights with Georgia it imposed in 2019 and visa regime that was operational since 2000, on the backdrop of its ongoing aggression against Ukraine. 

The Georgian authorities said it was a “positive move from the humanitarian point of view” and the Kremlin’s “unilateral decision”, with the country’s president and the opposition urging the authorities to oppose lifting of the restrictions to prevent potential sanctions.