Politicizing every aspect of our lives eventually becomes a huge pain in the neck. When rather cheap and convenient flights to Moscow were announced as being back in business, the Russophobes saw it as Sakartvelo’s major capitulation to the Russian evil empire. But for those who are not necessarily in love with the Russian bear—yet, for one reason or another, have to live on Russian territory or have something vital to do with the invader—it was a definite relief.
Just imagine: because of the ban on Russian flights, one had to take long and annoying detours, wasting hours and hours of their valuable time. After a six-year forced pause, the Russian airline Aeroflot is back on the Georgian aviation market. Regular Moscow–Tbilisi–Moscow flights are now operated daily. And Aeroflot’s flight deals are sometimes amazingly beneficial for the average traveler. Open skies means saving money, nerves, and time—so what’s better: to be politically enervated forever, or to live in comfort and feel happy? Kill me if you wish, but I’ll go for the latter version of existence. Look at President Trump himself: he’s always looking for some win-win deals for his country. Good deals won’t hurt Georgia either—just like in America, right?
The country’s aviation business is fully aligned with the scale and potential of its economy
It’s no surprise—Georgia is a small country, so its economy can’t be very large. But it is as open as it could possibly be, and as developed as the circumstances have allowed over the past three decades. Logically, the country’s aviation business is fully aligned with the scale and potential of its economy: relatively open and functional. According to the available information, there are currently 60 international airlines doing business in Georgia. Most of the passenger traffic is handled by foreign companies, though only a few of them are globally renowned airlines that find it feasible and acceptable to fly in and out of Georgia’s main cities—Tbilisi, Kutaisi, and Batumi.
I’m not sure how many of us would be surprised by this, but the airline Wizz Air Hungary ranks number one among those catering to the flying appetites of travelers to and from Sakartvelo. The company is best known by its stylized name, W!ZZ, a low-cost carrier headquartered in Budapest. Its share in the Georgian civil aviation market stands at a significant 24.5 percent. The runner-up is Turkish Airlines, with a 10.5 percent market share, followed by another Turkish airline, Pegasus, which holds a 7.1 percent share.
These three companies are the biggest players in Georgia’s air market. Alongside them, our skies are shared with global giants like Lufthansa and Air France—though their fares often feel rather heavy for our modest pockets. In addition to European carriers, travelers flying in and out of Georgia also have access to Qatar Airways.
In short, there are ten major airlines operating in Georgia. Their rankings vary, but none of them is losing money here. And that’s absolutely natural—why would any business remain in Sakartvelo if it weren’t profitable enough?
To go a little deeper into recent history: the COVID-era rules and regulations, which hit the country’s economy hard, had the worst impact on the airline industry. Transportation in general was disrupted, and international flights were especially affected. But the picture has drastically changed. After overcoming the disastrous results of the pandemic, airline ratings and analytics have begun to make sense again—restoring competition and stimulating the economy as a whole.
Despite the modest size of the market—Georgia ranks only 119th in the world by area and 130th by population—competition among airlines is quite intense
And then there are the popular flight deals of Georgian Airways, formerly known as Airzena! This is Sakartvelo’s flag carrier, operating from its hub at Tbilisi International Airport, with additional focus cities in Batumi and Kutaisi. Georgian Airways currently flies to eleven destinations. Starting in April, during the summer navigation season, the airline will launch direct flights from Tbilisi to two new European destinations—Rome and Forlì (Forlì is a city in Italy’s northern Emilia-Romagna region.)
Speaking of cheap flights, Georgian Airways offers them too, depending on the dates, occasions, and destinations. On the whole, its services are no less competitive than those of foreign carriers.
Despite the modest size of the market—Georgia ranks only 119th in the world by area and 130th by population—competition among airlines is quite intense. But if peace is maintained in the country and the economy flourishes as a result, competition will certainly grow, and the number of foreign operators will increase. This will only encourage Georgian Airways to work harder and better—so that its importance in the air market not only remains, unlike what happened in the past, but continues to grow, day in and day out.
Op-ed by Nugzar B. Ruhadze
