Georgia’s Civil Aviation Agency submitted a preliminary application revealing that Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, plans to enter Georgian market with direct flights between Abu Dhabi and Tbilisi starting March 2026.
The airline intends to operate 14 weekly flights on the route. Approval procedures for the flights are expected to begin ahead of the 2025–2026 winter navigation season.
The Ministry of Economy noted that the UAE is Georgia’s most active air travel partner among the Gulf countries. In 2023, passenger flow between Georgia and the UAE reached 647,710, accounting for 59% of total traffic between Georgia and the Gulf nations.
Currently, Air Arabia Abu Dhabi is the only airline serving the Abu Dhabi–Tbilisi route, operating seven flights per week.
