The Tbilisi-based Georgian Airways on Tuesday received the permission to conduct direct flights between Tbilisi and Moscow starting from Saturday, the Georgian Civil Aviation agency confirmed. 

The company is scheduled to carry out seven flights per week, following Moscow's decision last week to lift travel and visa restrictions with Georgia on the backdrop of its ongoing aggression against Ukraine. 

The Russia-based Azimuth airlines, which received the Georgian permission to carry out flights between Russia and Georgia on Monday, on Tuesday removed Georgia’s currently Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali ( South Ossetia) regions from the list of countries on its website.

The airline removed the regions from its list after the information went viral and added to the criticism of the Georgian government on accepting  the flights. 

The Georgian authorities claim the lifting of the restrictions were  the decisions of the Russian government and not theirs, and noted the move would “ease the lives” of Georgians living in Russia. 

The US has warned  Georgia of possible sanctions for companies in Georgian airports if any aircraft sanctioned for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine entered their territory.