Georgia will accuse Russia of endangering flights in the Black Sea region

It is much more important for the international community than the principle of territorial integrity

The Abkhazian Prime Minister, Sergei Shamba said that the Russian Federation designated to the Babushera airport in Sukhumi  an "international code for flights”. However a source in the Georgian Ministry of Infrastructure, including the Integrated  transport administration and the Aviation Department said to the VC that the statement made by Mr. Shamba is imprecise. According to this information, Russia  actually designated  to the Sukhumi airport not an international, but the Russian domestic code. In compliance with this code flights from the capital of Abkhazia can be made only to Russian cities. Making international flights requires Georgia’s consent, due to the fact that, according to the VC interlocutor, "International Civilian Aviation Organization considers Abkhazia part of Georgia and  won’t assign international aviation code without our consent.”
There are two excellent landing strips in Abkhazia, erected in  the Soviet times. The "Babushera" is situated  Sukhumi and the "Bombora" in Gudauta. According to its characteristics, they meet the highest safety requirements, because they are situated next to the sea. But Gudauta airdrome was originally built for military purposes and is not fit for civilian flights. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union and during the Georgian-Abkhazian war of 1992-1993, the airdrome was used mainly for the delivery of ammunition, equipment and personnel. In effect, the "Bombora" was the base for the Russian Airborne Regiment and airforce, including Su-27 planes. The same status is allocated to the airport in documents on military cooperation signed by Sukhumi and Moscow after Russia’s  recognition of independence of Abkhazia.

As for  the "Babushera", since the 1970's there landed civilian flights filled with people  going to relax in the Abkhazian resorts. The airfield is very convenient as part of the infrastructure of the Big Sochi region in connection with the 2014 Winter Olympics holding. Of course, the navigation system in the airport become worthless during the long-term downtime. Since 1993, the runway almost did not receive flights, and there is no necessary personnel in Abkhazia . However, all these difficulties are surmountable. Controller may be trained or invited from Russia, navigation  is already equipment being installed, the landing strip is being repaired and the airport building itself  is being trimmed.

The main problem is the status of the airport and international response to the flights. Unsurprisingly, Georgia and its navigation services will not service these flights. Then, it will be served by Russian navigational services. Possibly it will be serviced military air traffic controllers of the same Gudauta base and it will give additional arguments to Tbilisi  appealing to the International Civilian Aviation Organization. Meanwhile,  Georgia will certainly accuse Russia  not merely of "violating  territorial integrity and international law”, but of endangering flights in the Black Sea region on a very busy airway leading from Europe to Asia. It is much more important for the international community than the principle of territorial integrity of Georgia. Disorder in actions of navigation services,  inconsistency of  controllers’ orders and non-coordination of crossing routes regime often led to crashes.

Nonetheless, it is considered undoubtful in Tbilisi  that flights will be made, nevertheless. "There are  flights to Russian cities planned. In effect, Russia assigned Sukhumi the same code, as one assigned to other Russian provincial towns. “International flights are out of the question," said during his interview with VC MP Paata Davitaia , who has already demanded that the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs" to response toughly to the outrageous and very dangerous actions of Russia in the of air transport "and to prohibit flights of any Russian airlines in the Georgian airspace.

Georgy Kalatozishvili, Tbilisi. Exclusively for the VC