New Georgian company to transport NATO cargo to Afghanistan

A new Georgian airline, First Truck, was presented at Tbilisi international airport on Wednesday, Trend reports.

This is a fully Georgian company which purchased two modern Boeing 747-200 airliners for cargo transportation, Georgian Deputy Economy and Sustainable Development Minister Giorgi Karbelashvili said at the presentation.

"This is the first time that a Georgian airline will be able to deliver goods from Georgia, and to Georgia. Georgia is a transit country, and the need for transportation has always existed," he said.

In the first stage the company will involve 120 people, including the Georgian pilots. By the end of 2012 the airline's staff will increase to 600 people.

The company has already received an order from the U.S. State Department to transport cargo to Afghanistan as part of ISAF. The contract was signed until 2014.