Passenger numbers through Georgia’s international airports up by 20.9%

More than 1.6 million international travellers visited Georgia in the first three months of 2019, a year-on-year increase of 2.2 per cent :: Tbilisi airport

According to Georgia’s Civil Aviation Agency, passenger traffic grew by 20.9 per cent in the first quarter of 2019, as more than 1.6 million passengers used the international airports of the country located in the Caucasus region of Eurasia.

Shota Rustaveli Tbilisi International Airport (TBS) remains the most popular Georgian gateway as it served some 804,700 passengers from January to March, up by 11.15 per cent year-on-year.

Batumi International Airport (BUS), which was visited by 51,900 passengers, some 15,100 more than in 2018, enjoyed a major increase of 41.19 per cent in the period.

Elsewhere, according to the statistics, passenger traffic at Kutaisi International Airport (KUT) doubled during the first three months – up by 101 per cent when some 156,800 people were served (as compared with 78,700 in the same period last year).

Amongst all airlines operating into Georgia, east- and central-European low-cost carrier (LCC) Wizz Air grabbed the market share lead in the first three months. The LCC controls 15 per cent of the market, while Turkish Airlines and national carrier Georgian Airways are also major contributors. Georgia’s third and fourth places in the airline league are occupied by Russian carriers.

In general, the overall share of Russia’s airlines in the Georgian market is 16 per cent, with LCC Pobeda Airlines carrying 96,500 passengers to Georgia, and Ural Airlines taking care of some 60,500 customers.