newstodate.aero
Sep 29, 2010 (newstodate): Georgia and EU signed an air services agreement in March, 2010 - but it still remains to be signed.
Under the agreement, Georgia needs to harmonize its legislation with European standards and implement EU aviation rules in areas including aviation safety, security, environment, consumer protection, air traffic management, economic regulation and competition issues, before the parties will open up for new venues of traffic.
In the meantime, Ryanair is reportedly interested in opening up low-cost operations to Georgia from next summer already, if conditions are met.
Apart from the signature to the air services agreement, these conditions also include the upgrading of Kutaisi Kopitnari Airport that would reportedly be the target for Ryanair.
Re-opened in June, 2009,after being heavily damaged by Russian bombardments in 2008, has a 2,500m runway and is a destination for Ukraine's Windrose Airlines operating flights to and from Kiev.
Since 2005, air passenger volumes between Georgia and EU countries has gown by 10 percent per year, while air cargo between the two regions has grown even steeper, increasing by 26 percent annually during the same period.
Under the agreement, Georgia needs to harmonize its legislation with European standards and implement EU aviation rules in areas including aviation safety, security, environment, consumer protection, air traffic management, economic regulation and competition issues, before the parties will open up for new venues of traffic.
In the meantime, Ryanair is reportedly interested in opening up low-cost operations to Georgia from next summer already, if conditions are met.
Apart from the signature to the air services agreement, these conditions also include the upgrading of Kutaisi Kopitnari Airport that would reportedly be the target for Ryanair.
Re-opened in June, 2009,after being heavily damaged by Russian bombardments in 2008, has a 2,500m runway and is a destination for Ukraine's Windrose Airlines operating flights to and from Kiev.
Since 2005, air passenger volumes between Georgia and EU countries has gown by 10 percent per year, while air cargo between the two regions has grown even steeper, increasing by 26 percent annually during the same period.