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Tbilisi-Moscow air links threaten Armavia

Tuesday, December 29
Some experts have said that reestablishing direct flights from Moscow to Tbilisi will seriously affect Armenian company Armavia, which currently serves many Georgian citizens travelling to and from Russia. Direct flights between the two countries were cancelled in 2006 on Russia's initiative, and although they were resumed in 2008 the August war caused their complete cancellation.

In 2009 Armenia’s national carrier Armavia started conducting flights to Tbilisi and Batumi and from March 2009 the Tbilisi-Yerevan-Moscow return route was launched, which up to the end of November 2009 had served up to 50,000 Georgians travelling to Russia. If direct flights resume between Tbilisi and Moscow Armavia will lose approximately 10% of its passengers.