Ukraine Imposes Sanctions on Georgian Airways and Founder Tamaz Gaiashvili
By Liza Mchedlidze
Monday, July 3, 2023
It was revealed on July 1st, that President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky issued a decree imposing 10-year sanctions on the Georgian airline, Georgian Airways, and also applying a personal sanction to the founder of the airline, Tamaz Gaiashvili.
On social media, Davit Arakhamia, the leader of the 'Servant of the People' faction in the Ukrainian Rada, expressed gratitude to the President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili and the President's office for their role in sanctioning the airline 'Georgian Airways' and its owner Tamaz Gaiashvili.
Arakhamia stated that the government of Georgia consistently fails to comprehend the right advice provided by the president.
"President Zourabichvili announced a boycott of the resumption of flights with the Russian Federation. Unfortunately, the government of Georgia never understands the president's right advice. We have heard, and today witnessed, the sanctioning of the airline company 'Georgian Airways' and its owner. Thanks to Mrs. Salome and the office of the President. Thanks to the Security Council of Ukraine for the timely response," said Arakhamia.
Tamaz Gaiashvili, the founder of Georgian Airways, deemed the sanctions imposed by Ukraine on his company and himself as 'absurd' and 'unfair'.
Gaiashvili expressed that while he wasn't taken aback by the President of Ukraine's decision regarding the sanctions, he was surprised by the "applause of opposition groups."
Gaiashvili stated that it is widely recognized that airlines worldwide lack the authority to grant permission for flight operations in different countries. Such decisions are governed by government agreements on air traffic between the respective nations. He emphasized that his company, like all others, must adhere to the decisions made by the Government of Georgia.
"It is well known that none of the world's airlines have the competence to issue permission to start or stop flights in one or another country. All this is regulated by the government agreement on air traffic between the two countries. We, like all other companies, are obliged to comply with the decisions made by the Government of Georgia," Gaiashvili said.
