Flight ban over Georgian region unlikely to disrupt air traffic, official says

Georgian Deputy Economy Minister Tamar Ioseliani has said that new airspace restrictions over the Abastumani area will not affect national air traffic or aviation revenues.

According to her, the restricted zone is too small to have any meaningful impact on flight efficiency or overall air traffic operations, Caliber.Az reports. 

She stated that there are no expectations of reduced flight activity or lower aviation income as a result of the changes, describing the measure as insignificant in the broader context of air transport.

According to Ioseliani, the restrictions were introduced solely to protect the operational conditions of the Abastumani Astrophysical Observatory.

She added that the adjustments to flight routes were based on safety assessments and implemented in line with international air traffic management standards.

As was reported earlier, Georgian authorities introduced a no-fly zone over the resort town of Abastumani, where an astrophysical observatory is located, following a request from scientists at the observatory.

By Sabina Mammadli