The Civil Aviation Agency is responding to information circulated on Flightradar24 claiming that on 28 November the airline Azimuth operated a flight from Sokhumi to Tbilisi.
“Targeted disinformation is being disseminated on certain social media pages, alleging that on 28 November of this year the airline Azimuth operated a flight from Sokhumi to Tbilisi. This is data incorrectly recorded on www.flightradar24.com, and we inform you that on 28 November of this year the flight was carried out from Mineralnye Vody to Tbilisi (AZO6153) by Azimuth Airlines. This flight is a recurring, non-scheduled flight operated on the Mineralnye Vody – Tbilisi – Mineralnye Vody route on the basis of the relevant permit. All details related to this flight including the flight number, aircraft registration number, and other data – are reflected in the flight plan.”
The agency also states that data retrieved from various online platforms used for real-time tracking of commercial flights may contain inaccuracies.
“Therefore, we call on interested parties and media outlets to verify information with the competent authorities before disseminating it. Once again, we emphatically and categorically declare that no flight was operated from the illegally opened airport in occupied Abkhazia to Tbilisi. Conducting flights from Sokhumi Airport which has been closed by the Georgian side since 1993 constitutes a gross violation of both international aviation standards and Georgian legislation (the Law on Occupied Territories).
Sokhumi Airport is not certified by the Georgian Civil Aviation Agency. Conducting air travel from an airport lacking an aerodrome certificate issued by the authorized body not only violates the law but also endangers aviation and passenger safety. Accordingly, no permit for a flight from such an illegally activated airport has been or can be issued by Georgia’s aviation authorities.”