Georgia’s Myway Airlines to resume regular services

Within the current IATA summer schedule, Myway Airlines is to perform four weekly flights between Tbilisi and Zhukovsky near Moscow (Zhukovsky)

The China-backed Georgian carrier Myway Airlines has no intention of quitting the market, despite its temporary difficulties, the airline’s spokesperson has confirmed to Russian Aviation Insider. The start-up, which launched operations on March 31 last year, suspended most of its flights in December. Throughout the winter, one of its two 170-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated flights between Tbilisi and Tel-Aviv, while the second flew in Africa.

The airline admits it struggled with sales distribution issues after its initial reliance on the Travelsky computer reservation system (CRS), which is popular in China, proved to be unsuccessful because it is unfamiliar to the European market and also suffered from server connection problems. Myway Airlines was thus forced to re-invent its distribution model and instead opt for a different provider and CRS. Having solved these problems, it is hopeful that it will now gain a better market exposure.

Nevertheless, on April 26, the Georgian airline operated its first sought-after flight to Russia, having found a partner in the form of Zhukovsky airport (ZIA), which is located near to Moscow. The four-weekly service between Tbilisi and Zhukovsky will be offered throughout the current IATA summer schedule.

Natalia Sville, Myway Airlines’ network development director, has assured that the airline’s economic standing remains secure. This summer it is expecting the delivery of a third Boeing 737-800, the only addition this year. The airline is placing its confidence on this type for its fleet development plans over the next five years, Sville says. “In the [more distant] future we also have plans for long-haul aircraft, but this requires the airline’s [further] development,” she states.

Last year the young airline served slightly more than 45,000 passengers and is targeting a 30 per cent increase in 2019.

Myway Airlines says its strategic objective remains the same: forming a hub at the international airport of Georgia’s capital Tbilisi. Besides flights to Russia’s Zhukovsky, it is also concentrating on developing its European route network.