Georgian Airways (), formerly Airzena, is the privately owned flag carrier of Georgia, with its headquarters in Tbilisi. Its main base is Tbilisi International Airport. The company filed for bankruptcy on 31 December 2021, linked to a restructuring procedure, and it has been for sale since January 2022. Georgian Airways flights to Moscow-Vnukovo have since been operated by Aircompany Armenia via Yerevan. The ban was revoked by Russian president Vladimir Putin on 10 May 2023, and starting 15 May, Georgian Airways announced it would then resume flights to Moscow from 20 May, with the first flight arriving in Vnukovo on that day. In response, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky imposed sanctions against the airline on 1 July.

Bankruptcy

Georgian Airways filed for bankruptcy on 31 December 2021, linked to restructuring proceedings, and the airline was put up for sale in January 2022. The airline is in debt of (), against in assets. The causes include the Russian flight ban since July 2019, but most of all, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the airline hard. The Georgian authorities banned international air traffic for 11 months, with the exception of a number of monthly government mandated flights for repatriation purposes (operated by Georgian Airways). Georgian Airways cut back on its fleet (such as disposing of its Embraer planes) but with the Georgian resumption of international air traffic in February 2021, it could only offer six destinations.

The insolvency plan focused on the year-round profitable routes (Amsterdam, Tel Aviv and Minsk) and a few profitable seasonal charters, while guaranteeing these flights. Currently, the airline operates more routes.

Destinations

As of October 2024, Georgian Airways operates scheduled services from Tbilisi International Airport to destinations in the European Union, Israel and Russia, while it jointly sells (but does not operate) flights to Armenia and France.

{|class="sortable wikitable"

|-

!Country

!City

!Airport

!Notes

!class="unsortable"|Refs

|-

|Armenia||Yerevan||Zvartnots International Airport||align=center| ||align=center|

|-

|Austria||Vienna||Vienna International Airport||align=center| ||align=center|

|-

|Belgium||Brussels||Brussels Airport||align=center| ||align=center|

|-

|Cyprus||Larnaca||Larnaca International Airport||align=center| ||align=center|

|-

|rowspan="2"|France||Nice||Nice Côte d'Azur Airport||align=center| ||align=center|

|-

|Paris||Charles de Gaulle Airport||align=center| ||align=center|

|-

| rowspan="2" |Georgia||Batumi||Batumi International Airport||||align=center|

|-

|rowspan="4"|Italy||Bergamo||Orio al Serio International Airport||align=center| ||align=center|

|-

|Bologna||Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport||align=center| ||align=center|

|-

|Forlì||Forlì Airport||align=center| ||align=center|

|-

| rowspan="3" |Russia||Moscow||Vnukovo International Airport||align=center| ||align=center|

|-

|Novosibirsk||Tolmachevo Airport|| ||align=center|

|-

|Saint Petersburg||Pulkovo Airport||align=center| ||align=center|

|}

Partners

Georgian Airways partners with the following airlines:

  • Aegean Airlines
  • Air Astana
  • Air Dilijans
  • Air France
  • Austrian Airlines
  • Azerbaijan Airlines
  • Delta Air Lines
  • El Al
  • Emirates
  • Iran Air
  • KLM

Fleet

Current fleet

thumb|upright=1.4 | Georgian Airways Boeing 737-700

thumb|upright=1.4 | A former Georgian Airways Boeing 737-800F

, Georgian Airways operates the following aircraft:

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em auto;text-align:center"

|+ Georgian Airways fleet

|-

! rowspan="2" | Aircraft

! rowspan="2" style="width:60px;" | In service

! rowspan="2" style="width:25px;" | Orders

! colspan="3" |Passengers

! rowspan="2" | Notes

|-

! style="width:25px;" | <abbr title="Business Class">J</abbr>

! style="width:25px;" | <abbr title="Economy Class">Y</abbr>

! style="width:25px;" | Total

|-

|Boeing 737-500

|1

|&mdash;

|12

|104

|116

|

|-

|Boeing 737-700

|2

|&mdash;

|12

|120

|132

|

|-

|Boeing 737-800

|3

|&mdash;

|12

|168

|180

|

|-

|Boeing 737-900ER

|1

|&mdash;

|&mdash;

|189

|189

|

|-

|Bombardier CRJ200LR

|1

|—

|6

|44

|50

|Operating under Airzena brand.

|-

|Bombardier Challenger 850

|1

|—

| colspan="3" |<abbr title="VIP configuration">VIP</abbr>

| For government and VIP use only.

|-

|Bombardier Global 6000

|1

|—

| colspan="3" |<abbr title="VIP configuration">VIP</abbr>

|For government and VIP use only.

|-

!Total

!10

!—

! colspan="4" |

|}

Former fleet

The airline fleet previously included the following aircraft (inconclusive list)

  • Boeing 737-300
  • Boeing 737-400
  • Boeing 737-500
  • Boeing 737-800
  • Boeing 767-300ER
  • Bombardier CRJ100ER
  • Embraer 190
  • Embraer 195

Safety rating, accidents and incidents

Georgian Airways has a 6/7 safety rating in AirlineRatings.

  • On 4 April 2011, Georgian Airways Flight 834, a charter flight for a United Nations mission, operated by a Georgian Airways Bombardier CRJ100ER (registered as 4L-GAE) crashed at N'djili Airport, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, while flying at very low altitude in 'extreme inclement' weather. 32 of the 33 people on board were killed.

References

  • Official website