newstodate.aero
Mar 03, 2014 (newstodate): Free competition has boosted passengers' air travel in Georgia, but the country's carriers have lost in the game.
31 carriers are now serving routes to and from Georgia, but only two of these are Georgian, Air Caucasus and Airzena that have seen their market share down to 11 and 0.2 percent, respectively, while a third Georgian carrier, FlyGeorgia held five percent until its recent collapse.
In contrast, the foreign carriers are now commanding more than 80 percent of the market, but Georgian carriers point out that while they are obliged to pay heavy taxes to the Georgian state, the foreign carriers are virtually exempt from this burden making for unequal business opportunities.
The foreign airline currently at the top of the list in Georgian aviation is Turkish Airlines that holds 19 percent of the market.
The Georgian market has, however, benefited from the massive influx of new carriers in the market, lifting annual passenger volumes from 300,000 by 2003 to about 1.3 mio in 2013.
31 carriers are now serving routes to and from Georgia, but only two of these are Georgian, Air Caucasus and Airzena that have seen their market share down to 11 and 0.2 percent, respectively, while a third Georgian carrier, FlyGeorgia held five percent until its recent collapse.
In contrast, the foreign carriers are now commanding more than 80 percent of the market, but Georgian carriers point out that while they are obliged to pay heavy taxes to the Georgian state, the foreign carriers are virtually exempt from this burden making for unequal business opportunities.
The foreign airline currently at the top of the list in Georgian aviation is Turkish Airlines that holds 19 percent of the market.
The Georgian market has, however, benefited from the massive influx of new carriers in the market, lifting annual passenger volumes from 300,000 by 2003 to about 1.3 mio in 2013.