OREANDA-NEWS. The ban on direct flights from the Russian Federation caused damage to the Georgian airline Georgian Airways of about $ 25 million. This is stated in a statement released on Monday by the airline.

“The suspension of direct flights between Georgia and Russia dealt a significant blow to Georgian Airways and put it in a difficult financial situation. Airlines had to return about 80% of tickets already sold. In addition, the number of people who wanted to buy tickets dropped dramatically, due to which the airline Difficulties suffered damage of approximately $ 25 million", the statement said.

The leadership of Georgian Airways in its statement also responded to the recent decision of the government of the country to stimulate transit flights from Russia to Georgia through Yerevan and allocate € 600 thousand. It's Georgian Airways that today, in the absence of direct flights, makes transit flights from Georgia to Russia through Yerevan. The Georgian government took into account the request of the airline and decided to partially compensate for the damage to Georgian Airways, which supported the Georgian company. 

On July 8, a presidential decree of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin came into force imposing a temporary ban on Russian airlines from carrying out air transportation (including commercial) of citizens to Georgia. The decision of the Ministry of Transport of Russia to suspend flights of Georgian airlines to the territory of the Russian Federation also entered into force.

The bans were imposed after June 20, several thousand people staged an anti-Russian rally outside the parliament building in Tbilisi. The demonstrators tried to break into the building of the legislature, demanding the resignation of Irakli Kobakhidze, who was at that time the chairman of the parliament, and Interior Minister Georgy Gakhariya. The police broke up the rally, using tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons.