Georgia, Russia Resume Flights

Georgia and Russia are set to resume regular direct flights on March 25 with a Georgian Airways’ plane scheduled to take off from Tbilisi airport for Moscow this evening. Russia’s Aeroflot will resume flights by the end of the month.

Russia cut air, sea, land and railway links, and postal communication with Georgia on October 3, 2006 – one day after Georgia released four Russian military officers accused by Tbilisi of espionage. Officials in Moscow cited commercial reasons, as well as an outstanding debt, for the decision, but Tbilisi claimed the move was political.

The Georgian and Russian sides signed a protocol in February in Moscow under which Tbilisi undertook to repay a debt owed and accumulated by Georgian air carriers in the early 90s. Georgian Airways repaid USD 2 million. The reminder of the debt, reportedly USD 1.7 million, is still the subject of negotiation, according to Georgian media reports.

In addition to flights, ferry traffic will also be resumed.