Opposition demands stricter airline registration rules

Parliamentary minority leader Giorgi Targamadze is demanding stricter rules for the registration of airlines in Georgia, as today anyone, even a simple passer-by, can register an airline in Georgia.

Targamadze’s demand followed the impounding of a Georgian-registered plane in Thailand. The plane was carrying an illegal cargo of arms and therefore Georgia’s name was mentioned in the world's press in a negative context.

Some time ago the Georgian administration made it very easy to register airlines in Georgia, and any foreign physical or legal entity can do so. Today there are 18 airlines registered in Georgia. We do not know the names of most of them, but we do know that most of them are technically based in the UAE.

The Russian made IL-67 detained in Thailand on December 12 belonged to a company called West Georgia. Analysts suggest that the plane actually belongs to a criminal group as the previous owner of the plane had been registered in Kazakhstan under the name Beirbus. Experts suggest that the plane was registered in Georgia because the EU has restricted the flights of Kazakh cargo planes over its territory.

So if you live in Georgia why not register a couple of airlines? Nobody will ask you if you have a plane!