Tbilisi International Airport has welcomed its first scheduled long-haul flight from Shanghai. It was operated by the Chinese carrier China Eastern Airlines using an Airbus A330 aircraft.
The inaugural flight from Shanghai to Tbilisi carried 274 passengers, while 283 people departed on the return flight to China.
A ceremony was held at the airport to mark the launch of the new route. It was attended by Georgia’s Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Mariam Kvrivishvili, Chinese Ambassador to Georgia Zhou Qian, General Manager of TAV Georgia Tea Zakaradze, Vice President of China Eastern Airlines He Xiaoquan, as well as aviation industry representatives from both countries.
Three Chinese airlines now operate direct flights from Tbilisi to China. In total, they run 13 weekly flights, connecting the Georgian capital with Shanghai, Beijing, and Urumqi.
China Eastern Airlines will operate flights on the Shanghai–Tbilisi–Shanghai route three times a week—on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. The flight from Tbilisi takes about nine hours, while the flight from Shanghai takes about ten hours.
As noted by TAV Georgia, work continues in cooperation with the government to attract new air carriers and expand Georgia’s international route network.