By TBILISI. Dec 27 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Chinese air carrier China Southern Airlines is returning to the Georgian market, and its first flight on the Urumqi-Tbilisi route is planned for January 13, 2023, the press service for Tbilisi International Airport said.
Flights on this route will be carried out once per week for now.
The Chinese carrier began flights to Georgia in 2011 and ended them due to the pandemic on January 23, 2020. Prior to that, the airline regularly flew the Beijing-Urumqi-Tbilisi route. China Southern Airlines carried out 163 flight to Tbilisi in 2019, carrying 38,725 passengers.
Georgian experts predict that the resumption of direct flights to China will contribute to growth in tourist flows from China.
According to data from the Georgian National Tourism Administration, 31,855 citizens of China visited the country in 2018 and 48,071 in 2019.
China Southern Airlines was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Guangzhou.
