Final Stages of negotiations with Ryanair
By Mariam Chanishvili
Thursday, August 15
Negotiations over the launch of operation of Ryanair in Georgia are in the final stages, as stated by the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Natia Turnava. The Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) released relevant information.
She noted that in the upcoming days some good news and information will be available on the topic.
On May 16, Giorgi Chogovadze, Director General of the Georgian Airports Association, said that negotiations with Ryanair had almost been completed and the contract would be concluded in the near future. According to Chogovadze, negotiations are underway for the company to operate international flights from Tbilisi and Kutaisi.
Chogovadze also explained that there is a strategy, which aims to transform Kutaisi International Airport into a hub for low-cost offers in the region.
Ryanair, which is an Irish low-cost airline founded in 1984, has its headquarters in Swords, Dublin, Ireland, with its primary operational bases at Dublin and London Stansted airports. It forms the largest part of Ryanair Holdings family of airlines and has Ryanair UK, Ryanair Sun and Lauda as sister airlines.
The airline company is looking to expand its grasp on Europe even more. Over the coming years, the Irish mega-airline would look to acquire more small airlines, allowing the Ryanair group to increase its European coverage further.
Ryanair uses almost exclusively minor airports to serve larger agglomerations. For instance, it uses Hahn Airport located some 100 kilometers outside Frankfurt. However, with the extensive expansion, there has been a shift in both carriers’ networks sometimes to include a few select primary airports.
It is worth mentioning that low-cost airline Wizz Air was introduced to Kutaisi International Airport several years ago. The introduction of Wizz Air to Kutaisi has demonstrated how budget flights can affect passenger numbers. The number of passengers traveling via Kutaisi airport has more than doubled since the introduction of Wizz Air flights in 2016.
Introduction of Ryanair flights could increase the number of tourists coming to Georgia and help the tourist industry continues to grow.
