The fifth President of Georgia commented on the authorities’ decision to close the airspace over the Abastumani resort, a move many critics have linked to the personal interests of billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili. Writing on the social media platform X, Salome Zourabichvili stated:
“Dictatorship in Georgia is even surpassing the Russian model. Ivanishvili is closing international airspace within a 50-kilometer radius over one of his residences in southern Georgia…
Is it fear, megalomania, or… the time of this regime is coming to an end!” Zourabichvili wrote.
As a reminder, the Georgian government has decided to partially close the airspace over Abastumani—a resort town and home to an astrophysical observatory. The new “Abastumani-2” zone, with a diameter of approximately 52 km, covers an area of about 2,000 sq. km. Officially, the restrictions are justified by the need to ensure clear skies for astronomical observations.
In the Name of Science or for Money: Why Authorities are Closing the Sky over Abastumani
