Day: May 2, 2025
Sukhum Airport reopens after 30 years
Sukhum Airport has officially reopened after a 30-year hiatus.
The airport has been renovated, but due to the lack of an international licence, Abkhazia will operate flights exclusively with Russia.
The first scheduled flight from Moscow landed in Sukhum on the evening of 1 May.
Video: Marina Kobakhia
Background
Sukhum Airport had remained out of service since the end of the Georgian-Abkhaz war of 1992–93. At the time, at the request of the Georgian government, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) revoked the airport’s licence and cancelled its codes, effectively banning it from operating international flights.
This situation remains unchanged, as the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict is still unresolved and Abkhazia continues to be an unrecognised republic.
At the end of 2023, Abkhazia and Russia signed an agreement to restore the airport. The project was handled by the company Infrastructure Development, owned by the son of Russia’s Deputy Security Council Secretary.
The renovated airport has been named after Abkhazia’s first president, Vladislav Ardzinba.
However, due to the lack of an international licence, air traffic will be limited to Russia. Flights will be operated by small Russian airlines that specialise in domestic routes within the Russian Federation.
Major carriers, including Russia’s flagship airline Aeroflot, will not fly to Abkhazia, as operating flights to an “unlicensed” airport could expose them to international sanctions.
“Georgia must come to terms with it”
The first flight from Moscow was welcomed with a water salute from fire hoses, along with music and dancing.
Technically, this was the second plane to land — a test flight took place in early February, with then-presidential candidate (and Moscow’s favourite) Badr Gunba among the passengers.
At the official 1 May opening ceremony of the air link, Badr Gunba was present as the newly elected president of Abkhazia. Other Abkhaz officials attended as well, along with Sergey Kiriyenko, Deputy Head of the Russian Presidential Administration, who has overseen Abkhazia-related matters in the Kremlin since January 2025.
“Georgia must come to terms with Sukhumi Airport operating fully and receiving aircraft,” said Abkhazia’s Security Council Secretary, Raul Lolua.
According to him, the international regulations cited by Georgia do not apply in this case, as “legal norms should serve people and be for the benefit of people.”
“The movement of people and their convenience is what matters most, and we are realising this right together with Russia and with Russia’s help.”
Badr Gunba, for his part, said the airport’s launch would give a boost to all sectors of Abkhazia’s economy, especially tourism. He thanked the Russian president for making the project a reality.
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