Azimuth’s co-owner announces new transit hub in Tbilisi for Russians to fly to Europe

Vitaly Vantsev, a co-owner of the Moscow-based Azimuth airlines, on Friday told domestic RBK that a new transit hub was being created at Tbilisi Airport, which he claimed would allow Russian citizens to fly to Europe.

 

Azimuth, along with Tbilisi-based Georgian Airways, launched direct flights between Russia and Georgia in May, following Moscow’s move that month to lift travel and visa restrictions with Georgia on the backdrop of its ongoing aggression against Ukraine and international sanctions imposed for invading the country. 

 

Vantsev said Tbilisi was the fourth transport hub for Russians, after Istanbul, Baku and Yerevan, to transit Russian nationals to Europe. 

 

He added “partners” from Georgian Airways, which has been sanctioned by Kyiv, were making “favorable offers” for Russians to Paris, Nice and Rome, where direct flights from Russia had been suspended after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 

 

RBK reported initially Azimuth and Georgian Airways  operated Moscow-Tbilisi-Moscow flights once a day, and from July 5, Azimut added a second flight a day, and from July 6, Georgian Airways scheduled four additional flights per week.

 

The agency also quoted Tamaz Gaiashvili, the founder of Georgian Airways, as saying that his company planned to schedule transit flights in the direction of Milan, Paris, Larnak, Vienna and Thessaloniki.