Georgia demands action: Can ICAO block flights to Sukhumi? Experts analyse

The Georgian Civil Aviation Agency has appealed to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to prohibit Russian airlines from operating flights to Sukhumi Airport in the occupied separatist region of Abkhazia. Tbilisi points out that flights to Abkhazia "violate the principles of the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation."

Tbilisi is outraged that Sukhumi Airport may begin operations without the required airworthiness certificate issued by Georgian aviation authorities.

Recently, it became known that the Sukhumi Airport, restored after 30 years, will begin accepting regular flights from Russia in May, in violation of the law.

On March 14, 2025, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs lifted its recommendation for Russian citizens to refrain from traveling to Abkhazia. This recommendation had been issued due to the political crisis that occurred there on November 15, 2024. In response, the "Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia" issued a statement to Russians.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia thanks the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and draws the attention of Russian citizens planning to visit Abkhazia during the summer tourist season to the fact that the political and social situation in the Republic of Abkhazia is calm, all state authorities are functioning normally, and there are no grounds for concern or risks to the safety of tourists," the Abkhazian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes that Abkhazia and Russia have planned and are actively working on a series of large-scale projects, including the planned commissioning of the "V.G. Ardzinba International Airport."

Can Georgia's appeal to ICAO influence this situation in any way? Can it prevent illegal air traffic with the occupied part of its territory? If such tools exist, what do they look like? How are they expressed?

Georgian analysts shared their thoughts regarding these questions addressed by Caliber.Az.

Bidzina Giorgobiani, a political scientist and member of the "United Neutral Georgia" organization, believes that Russia is artificially creating tension in the Caucasus, whereas, objectively speaking, stability in the region is in the interests of both Russia and the three South Caucasian countries.

"There is already an agreement between the Central Asian countries, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye regarding the construction of the 'One Belt, One Road' route. And around this project, Russia is creating artificial tension, which is not in line with the interests of Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Türkiye, or the regional interests in general. This contradicts the issues of stability in the Caucasus," the expert stated.

As for the relationship between Sukhumi and Moscow, its current state can be explained by the recent "elections" in Abkhazia, he noted.

"The power remains with the same team to which Aslan Bzhania belongs. Moscow is allegedly preparing for the summer tourist season, but this is yet another poorly disguised step towards the annexation of the Georgian region of Abkhazia, from which Georgians were expelled. They carried out ethnic cleansing there, and part of the property of Georgian citizens, ethnic Georgians, was resold to newcomers, while part of it was seized by the Abkhaz themselves."

"They are now planning to integrate this occupied region into Russia both financially and politically with the help of the new government. As for the statement from the Georgian side, it is very good that it happened, but the problem is that, unfortunately, in recent years, international law as such no longer works; it no longer exists. Now, the law of force is in play. Not international law, but the law of the strong," says Giorgobiani.

Shota Utiashvili, Senior Research Fellow at the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies, noted that Sukhumi Airport has been closed since the war of the early 1990s.

"Russia has tried several times to reopen it, but without success. Now, apparently, they have decided to fly there without the proper ICAO documentation, because for ICAO, this airport is closed. And it is unlikely that Georgia can do anything else except appeal to ICAO. Unless the Georgian government decides to impose sanctions on all Russian airlines flying to Sukhumi, denying them landings in Tbilisi and other Georgian airports," the researcher suggested.

Doctor of Military and Political Sciences, Professor Vakhtang Maisaya, does not believe that Georgia's appeal to the International Civil Aviation Organization will lead to anything significant.

"Russia will do what it intends to do anyway. First of all, they believe that these are supposedly already their internal flights. Unfortunately, Tbilisi has no physical means to cancel these flights. Moreover, it has not been very persistent in demanding this. The Georgian national aviation service may have merely formally appealed to ICAO," he said.

"On the other hand, the entire UN system at this stage can be said to be inactive, unfortunately. This is evident both in the context of the war in Ukraine and other international events. And especially in the case of the occupied territory of Abkhazia, which, so to speak, Russia has de facto annexed. This is almost a second Crimea," the professor believes.

So, he says, there are no obstacles to carrying out illegal flights.

"On the contrary, perhaps the current Georgian government is pleased with this turn of events, because the issue of restoring rail links between Sukhumi and Tbilisi is increasingly being discussed.

Clearly, there is joint work between Georgian political lobbyists and Kremlin officials. In my opinion, they are united. So, the Georgian authorities simply appealed to this UN structure – ICAO – for the sake of appearances, and this is well understood in the Kremlin, unfortunately," Maisaya concluded.