Georgia receives applications for flights to republic from several Russian airlines

TBILISI. May 15 (Interfax) - Georgia's Civil Aviation Agency has received applications from several Russian airlines for regular flights between the two countries.

"A decision will be made on each application after a detailed study of the current status of the airlines or their aircraft in connection with the imposed international sanctions. Georgia firmly adheres to the position that flights between Georgia and the Russian Federation will be operated only by those airlines and aircraft that are not subject to sanctions," the Civil Aviation Agency said in a statement.

The agency is consulting with, and studying examples of, countries that are complying with sanctions and at the same time have direct air links with Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 10 signed a decree, which canceled visas for Georgian citizens starting May 15, 2023, with the exception of persons entering Russia for work. According to the document, "from May 15, 2023, citizens of Georgia may enter the Russian Federation and leave the Russian Federation without visas, and on the basis of valid identity documents."

In addition, a decree was issued to lift restrictions on flights to Georgia, which have been in force since July 2019.

The Russian Transport Ministry said that after the restrictions were lifted, Russian airlines would fly between Moscow and Tbilisi 7 times a week, and for this, domestic-made aircraft would be used. Red Wings, whose fleet consists mainly of Russian SSJ100s, soon announced they were ready to start flights to Georgia if they had permits.

The United States and the European Union have since warned Tbilisi about the risks of sanctions in the event of the resumption of air traffic with Russia.