The Russian airlines iFly and Nordstar, which are under EU sanctions, have received permission to perform flights to Sukhumi from Moscow and Krasnoyarsk. This follows from the documents of Rosaviatsia.
iFly was allowed to perform between Moscow and Sukhumi 14 flights a week, Nordstar – 7 times a week. Between Krasnoyarsk and Sukhumi Nordstar has agreed flights with a frequency of three times a week.
Sukhumi airport has not functioned since the 90s, flights stopped after the outbreak of war in Abkhazia. The facility was repaired with Russian participation, and a test flight was performed on February 7.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) does not recognize the Sukhumi airport as an international airport – it considers Abkhazia an integral part of Georgia. In 2006 ICAO canceled its code and excluded it from its documents.
The Civil Aviation Agency of Georgia stated that any foreign airline that decided to fly to Sukhumi would violate international norms.