Russian airlines request permission to start flights to Georgia

Russian airlines have requested permission from Georgian Economy Ministry’s Civil Aviation Agency to start flights to Georgia.

"We inform that as of today, the Civil Aviation Agency has received applications from several airlines with a request to start regular air traffic between Georgia and Russia," Caliber.Az reports per the agency’s statement.

The statement did not specify which companies have asked for permission. Besides, it was noted that Georgia still adheres to the decision that only Russian airlines that are not under sanctions will be allowed to fly. Permission to fly will be issued after the company and its fleet are inspected.

On May 10, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees lifting the ban on flights to Georgia for Russian airlines and abolishing the visa regime for Georgians.

Georgia's Economy Ministry said it would only allow Russian airlines that had not been hit by sanctions to fly. Red Wings was reported to have asked the Federal Air Transport Agency for permission to fly to Georgia from Moscow, Samara and Kazan.

For its part, Transport Ministry announced daily flights only from Moscow and only with domestically manufactured aircraft.