The largest Chinese airline AIR CHINA is interested in direct passenger flights from China to Georgia. According to the Civil Aviation Agency of Georgia, AIR CHINA is considering the implementation of flights between Tbilisi and Ürümqi with a frequency of 3 times a week from September of this year. Consultations with the airline to start flights are in active mode.
The Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development publishes information about this.
According to Mariam Kvrivishvili, Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, the abolition of the visa regime between Georgia and China gave an additional incentive to bilateral negotiations in the direction of deepening cooperation in the civil aviation sector, including increasing the frequency of direct flights and expanding the geography of flights.
"China is a new priority destination for the tourism sector of Georgia. Tourists from China traditionally choose long-term tours and are characterized by high spending power. The increase in the frequency of direct flights will contribute to the arrival of more visitors from China, which will have a positive impact on the dynamics of the development of the tourism and civil aviation sectors, as well as give an additional boost to bilateral trade and economic relations," said the deputy minister.
According to her, the Government of Georgia is actively conducting negotiations regarding the start of flights from other Chinese cities so that more Chinese tourists can come to Georgia.
As of today, China Southern Airlines operates regular passenger flights between Georgia and China. Since last year, the airline has gradually increased the frequency of operations and currently performs daily flights on the Ürümqi - Tbilisi - Ürümqi air line. According to the data of 6 months of 2024, China Southern Airlines carried 19,991 passengers between Georgia and China.
In 2023, the number of visits from China to Georgia amounted to 48,304, which is a 554.5% increase compared to 2022. According to the data of the two quarters of 2024, 32,853 visits were made from China. The increase compared to 2023 was 159.5%.
