Putin has banned all flights from traveling between Russia and Georgia. The ban is due to come into place on July 8^th, affecting all airlines operating between the two nations. We take a look at the alternatives for travel, and how airlines are striving to keep traffic moving.

As 1.7m Russians visited Georgia last year, the ban is expected to impact many tourists, particularly if it extends into the summer holiday season. RFE/RL interviewed a number of Russian tourists in Georgia, all of whom seemed very upbeat about the situation. Many noted it felt perfectly safe in the country, with one proclaiming, “We’ll find new ways to get here”.

We’ll it looks like they won’t have to try too hard, as airlines are already connecting the dots to keep traffic flowing despite Putin’s ban.

Georgian Airways connection

Georgia’s flag carrying airline, Georgian Airways, was quick to present an alternative for tourists from Russia. They said that passengers could still access Tbilisi by using a connecting flight through Yerevan. On their website, the carrier detailed the offer, saying,

"Georgian Airways will offer its passengers Tbilisi-Yerevan-Moscow transit flights without any additional charges. In order to create maximum comfort for passengers, the transfer time will be less than 1 hour. Passengers are kindly asked to refer to the local sales offices for more information. Please watch out for updates on our website or Facebook page.”

Armenian airlines strive to plug the gap

Following an appeal from Prime Minister Nokol Pashinyan, three Armenian airlines have stepped up and are “ready to participate in the settlement between the brotherly peoples of the crisis”. The three airlines are Taron Avia, Atlantis European and Armenia Aircompany.

It appears that extra capacity is being planned for these airlines, with five additional planes being placed on the route, potentially increasing to seven if needs be. The Prime Minister’s adviser Hakob Tchagharyan posted on Facebook that,

“I am happy to note that three airlines – Armenia, Taron Avia and Atlantis European – are ready to participate in settling the crisis that has emerged between brotherly peoples, with five designated aircraft, the number of which can grow with another two. The Prime Minister has been briefed on the results,”

Alternative routes from Russian Airlines

Aeroflot has offered a solution to its passengers: fly to Georgia via Armenia. Russia’s largest airline was reported by ARKA News Agency as recommending passengers fly to Yerevan or to Vladikavkaz from where they could find onward connections.

Russia’s Red Wings airline is reported by Armenpress as having offered passengers to change their tickets in light of the ban. Passengers who would have flown to Georgia’s Batumi or Kutaysi can change their tickets to travel instead to Yerevan or Makhachkala and find onward connections from there.

A bridge from Belavia

The flag carrying airline of Belarus has also stepped up with an alternative offer. Emerging Europe cite a Russian Aviation analyst, Oleg Panteleev, as saying,

“Belavia has already established an air bridge between Russia and Ukraine,”

With a fleet of 17 Boeing 737s, as well as some smaller aircraft, Belavia could provide transit through the city of Minsk to convey passengers between the two countries. However, passengers will have to be happy with the current flight offerings, as CAPA reports the airline is not planning any schedule amendments in light of the ban.

If all else fails, take the bus

Rumors have it that the Georgian Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development are contemplating placing free shuttle busses from neighboring airports to get tourists to the country. As reported by News AM, these would run from Yerevan (Armenia), Baku (Azerbaijan), and Trabzon (Turkey).

The plan has come about as a result of pressure from the Georgian tourism sector, who are set to lose as much as $300m as a result of the ban.

Are you traveling to Georgia? Did you have tickets between Russia and Georgia? Let us know how you plan to make your trip in the comments.