Etihad Airways to launch services to Tbilisi

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, will start flights to Tbilisi, the capital and largest city of Georgia, providing the first air bridge with its home-base of Abu Dhabi.

The new service, which commences on 2 October 2015, will operate on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays using Airbus A320 aircraft with 16 Business Class and 120 Economy Class seats.

Tbilisi will join the Armenian capital Yerevan, launched on 3 July, and the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, scheduled to launch on 1 October 2015, providing Etihad Airways’ guests with access to the key destinations in the Caucasus region.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ President and Chief Executive Officer, said: “Demand from commercial entities, particularly from the UAE and Middle East, as well as leisure travellers, for access to the Caucasus region continues to grow and Etihad Airways is delighted to cater for this by adding Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital city, to our global flight network.

“In addition to providing this strong air link between the UAE and Georgia, which will enhance commercial and cultural ties, the new service will also offer access to their homeland for the Georgian communities living around the world, particularly those in North America.”

The Tbilisi service will be scheduled to connect over Etihad Airways’ Abu Dhabi hub to destinations across the entire Gulf region, Indian Subcontinent, Asia and North America.

Tbilisi has a population of approximately 1.5 million people and is the administrative, financial, industrial and cultural centre of Georgia. The city’s geographical location, between Europe and Asia, has seen it grow as a major transit point for trade flows. Trade relations between the UAE and Georgia continue to grow and the annual trade value stands at US$250 million.