Georgian Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili said a new international airport serving the capital city of Tbilisi should be developed to function as a facility ensuring international connection for both passenger traffic and cargo shipments.
According to Davitashvili, the government aimed to have a “detailed plan by the end of 2025”, with the construction expected to take three years and be “fully operational” by late 2028.
He noted the new facility would ensure a “significantly” increased passenger flow along with economic growth.
"We expect passenger flow to reach 19 million [per year] by 2050 [...] This investment project will cost more than $1 billion and is expected to have a significant economic effect, with the growth of the economy increasing by 0.2%, which means ₾350 million ($129.65mln) will be added to the economy over the next years”, Davitashvili said.
The minister added the airport project would be a “new stimulus” for Tbilisi as well as urban and spatial development in terms of connectivity between the capital and Rustavi, a city to its south-east.
"The project will also be important for the population of Rustavi in terms of employment - new jobs will be created in various sectors”, Davitashvili said.
The minister said navigational studies were currently being facilitated, with the configuration of the new runway to be determined in the next phase.
