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Georgian Airways

Not to be confused with Air Georgian or GeorgiaSkies.

Georgian Airways
IATA ICAO Call sign
A9 TGZ TAMAZI
Founded1994 (as Airzena)
HubsTbilisi International Airport
Fleet size8
Destinations16
HeadquartersTbilisi, Georgia
Key peopleRoman Bokeria, General Director replaced by David Gaiashvili (Tamaz Gaiashvili's brother) in 2022
Websitewww.georgian-airways.com

Georgian Airways (Georgian: ჯორჯიან ეარვეისი, romanized: jorjian earveisi), formerly Airzena, is the privately owned flag carrier of Georgia, with its headquarters in Tbilisi.[1] Its main base is Tbilisi International Airport.[2] The company filed for bankruptcy on 31 December 2021, linked to a restructuring procedure, and it has been for sale since January 2022.[3]

History

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Hapag Lloyd leased B737-500 (2003)

The airline Airzena was established in September 1993. Initially, Airzena operated charter flights to the United Arab Emirates, Italy, China, Egypt, India, and Syria, as well as a regularly scheduled flight to Vienna. The company managed to achieve recognition and retain its share in the aviation market during the economically and politically complicated period of the 1990s.

In 1999 Airzena became the flag carrier of Georgia. In August 2004, the company changed its name to Georgian Airways. During the first half of the 2000s, the airline's management decided to modernise the fleet, and leased two Boeing 737-500s from Hapag-Lloyd. This was the first case of a Georgian airline operating up-to-date Western equipment.

Russian sanctions

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Following what Russia perceived as anti-Russian protests in June 2019, it banned all flights to and from Georgia starting 8 July 2019.[4] Georgian Airways flights to Moscow-Vnukovo have since been operated by Aircompany Armenia via Yerevan. The ban was revoked by Russian president Vladimir Putin on 10 May 2023 starting 15 May and Georgian Airways announced it would then resume flights to Moscow from 20 May,[5] with the first flight arriving in Vnukovo on that day. In response, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky imposed sanctions against the airline on 1 July.[6]

Bankruptcy

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Georgian Airways filed for bankruptcy on 31 December 2021, linked to restructuring proceedings,[7] and the airline was put up for sale in January 2022.[3][8] The airline is in debt of ₾125,000,000 (€52,000,000), against ₾21,000,000 in assets. The causes include the Russian flight ban since July 2019,[4][9] but most of all, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the airline hard. The Georgian authorities banned international air traffic for 11 months,[10] with the exception of a number of monthly government mandated flights for repatriation purposes (operated by Georgian Airways). Georgian Airways cut back on its fleet (such as disposing of its Embraer planes) but with the Georgian resumption of international air traffic in February 2021, it could only offer six destinations.

The insolvency plan focused on the year-round profitable routes (Amsterdam, Tel Aviv and Minsk[11]) and a few profitable seasonal charters, while guaranteeing these flights.[7] Georgian Airways indicated in January 2022 that it would continue to operate the flights.[12] Currently, the airline operates more routes.

Destinations

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As of October 2024, Georgian Airways operates scheduled services from Tbilisi International Airport to destinations in the European Union, Israel and Russia, while it jointly sells (but not operates) flights to Armenia and France.

Country City Airport Notes Refs
Armenia Yerevan Zvartnots International Airport
Austria Vienna Vienna International Airport
Belgium Brussels Brussels Airport [13]
Cyprus Larnaca Larnaca International Airport
France Nice Nice Côte d'Azur Airport
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport
Georgia Batumi Batumi International Airport Focus city [14]
Tbilisi Tbilisi International Airport Hub
Germany Berlin Berlin Brandenburg Airport
Israel Tel Aviv Ben Gurion Airport [15]
Italy Bergamo Orio al Serio International Airport
Netherlands Amsterdam Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
Russia Moscow Vnukovo International Airport [14]
Novosibirsk Tolmachevo Airport [16]
Saint Petersburg Pulkovo Airport [14]
Seychelles Mahé Seychelles International Airport Seasonal Charter
Begins 2 November 2024		 [17]

Partners

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Georgian Airways partners with the following airlines:[18]

Fleet

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Current fleet

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A Georgian Airways Boeing 737-700
A Georgian Airways Boeing 737-800F

The Georgian Airways fleet consists of the following aircraft as of July 2022:[citation needed]

Georgian Airways fleet
Passenger fleet
Aircraft In service Orders Passengers Notes
B E Total
Boeing 737-500 1 — 12 104 116 Leased from Air Dilijans
Boeing 737-700 2 — 12 120 132 One aircraft leased from Air Dilijans
Boeing 737-800 2 — 12 168 180
Bombardier CRJ200LR 1 — 6 44 50
Boeing 767-300 1 — 18 227 245 Leased from US Leaser, Leaser unknown.
Bombardier Challenger 850 1 — VIP For government and VIP use only
Total 8 3

Former fleet

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The airline fleet previously included the following aircraft (inconclusive list):[citation needed]

Safety rating, accidents and incidents

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Georgian Airways has a 6/7 safety rating in AirlineRatings.[19][20][21][22]

References

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  1. ^ "Contacts". Georgian Airways. Archived from the original on 1 February 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  2. ^ Flight International 3 April 2007
  3. ^ a b "Indebted Georgian Airways Up for Sale". Civil Georgia. 18 January 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Putin's Ban On Direct Russia-Georgia Flights Comes Into Force". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 8 July 2019. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Georgian Airways to launch Tbilisi-Moscow-Tbilisi flights from May 20". InterpressNews. 16 May 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  6. ^ "Зеленский ввел санкции против грузинской авиакомпании Georgian Airways". Kommersant (in Russian). 1 July 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Georgian Airways has filed for Bankruptcy / Rehabilitation". Business Media Georgia (in Georgian). 8 July 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  8. ^ "Georgian Airways files for insolvency, put up for sale". Eurasianet. 20 January 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  9. ^ "Georgian Airways estimates $25mn loss from Russia flight ban". Ch Aviation. 1 August 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  10. ^ "Georgia resumes regular flights today". Agenda.ge. 1 February 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  11. ^ In practical terms the Minsk flights do not operate.
  12. ^ "Attention!". Georgian Airways. 18 January 2022. Archived from the original on 1 February 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  13. ^ "Georgian Airways Resumes Brussels Service in NS24". AeroRoutes. 2 February 2024. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  14. ^ a b c "Georgian Airways Resumes 2 Russian Routes in Dec 2023". AeroRoutes. 8 November 2023. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  15. ^ "Daily Direct Flights To Tel Aviv". georgian-airways.com (Press release). Georgian Airways. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  16. ^ Mammadov, Ingilab (24 August 2024). "Georgian Airways to launch flights to another Russian city". Trend.Az. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  17. ^ Liu, Jim (23 September 2024). "Georgian Airways Nov 2024 Seychelles Charters". AeroRoutes. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  18. ^ "Georgian Airways Partners". www.georgian-airways.com. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  19. ^ "Georgian Airways - Airline Ratings". www.airlineratings.com. Archived from the original on 28 January 2024.
  20. ^ "Safety Rating Criteria - Airline Ratings". www.airlineratings.com. Archived from the original on 16 April 2024.
  21. ^ Morris, Hugh (2 November 2017). "Which airline was just voted the best in the world for the fifth year running?". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  22. ^ Zhang, Benjamin. "These are the best airlines in the world for 2018". Business Insider. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  23. ^ "Investigation Report of accident involving Georgian Airways aircraft CRJ-100ER (4L-GAE) at Kinshasa's N'djili Airport Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on 4 April 2011" (PDF). Ministry of the Transportation and Ways of Communication. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
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Media related to Georgian Airways at Wikimedia Commons