Georgia’s visa-free travel agreement with the European Union has played particularly important role in passenger growth at Kutaisi International Airport, and that progress may now be at risk.
Lasha Berekashvili, founder of Travel to Georgia, has warned that the airport could lose up to 1 million passengers annually if the EU decides to suspend Georgia’s visa-free regime. “If visa-free travel is canceled, we could see an immediate 76–80% drop in passenger numbers,” Berekashvili stated, emphasizing the potential side effects on tourism, regional employment and airline operations.
Before Georgia gained visa-free access to the EU in 2017, Kutaisi Airport served just 400,000 passengers annually. By 2024, that number had grown to 1.7 million, data from the Association of Georgian Airports shows. This dramatic rise positioned Kutaisi Airport among the top five medium-sized European airports for post-pandemic recovery last year, with passenger traffic up 97% and flights increasing by 76% compared to 2019.
Berekashvili warned that without visa-free access, the airport’s rapid growth could reverse and its long-term sustainability may be in jeopardy.
