Georgian Airways Pays USD 2 mln Debt to Resume Flights to Russia
Georgian Airways said it had paid a debt of USD 2 million for navigation services provided by Russia to Georgian air carriers.
Although the Georgian air carrier said it had nothing to do with the debt, accumulated by other companies in the 90s, it paid it to ensure the resumption of direct flights between Russia and Georgia.
“The resumption of direct Tbilisi-Moscow flights is of vital importance for the country, its population and the company itself. Therefore, we decided to pay part of the debt, although we had no debt to Russia,” Nino Giorgobiani, a spokesperson for Georgian Airways, told Civil.Ge on March 10.
She said that although the sum had been paid it was not clear when flights would be resumed.
The Georgian and Russian sides signed a protocol this month in Moscow under which Tbilisi has undertaken to repay a debt owed by Georgian air carriers that no longer operate. Russia said that direct air traffic between the two countries would resume after the debt was repaid. The debt reportedly is over USD 3 million. The Georgian Economy Ministry said on February 27 that the debt should be split between and repaid by two companies, Georgian Airways and Georgian National Airlines. The latter said that it had no intention of paying.
