Russia’s iFly Airline plans to launch flights to Georgia’s occupied Abkhazia in May

Russian airline iFly plans to begin operating flights to Sokhumi, the capital of the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia, in the second half of May, a company representative told Russian media on Monday.

The representative noted that the start date would be confirmed once the current preparatory phase was completed. “After the preparatory э stage is completed, the specific date for the start of flights will be determined. I think the flights will start in the second half of May,” the spokesperson said.

Technical assessments are underway to determine whether the Sokhumi airport can accommodate Airbus A330 aircraft. The airport has not hosted regular international flights in recent years and is currently undergoing evaluations to ensure compliance with operational standards, he added.

Earlier this month, Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsia, granted permission to iFly and NordStar airlines to operate flights to Sokhumi.

Georgia strongly opposes direct flights to Sokhumi, viewing such moves as violations of its sovereignty.