Fee for Using Georgian Airspace Decrease this Year
This year, the fees for using Georgian airspace will be reduced for commercial airlines. According to Teona Erkomaishvili, the Head of the Economic Department of Sakaeronavigatsia, the European Air Navigation Safety Organization [Eurocontrol] reviews the tariffs twice a year. The organization approves the fee according to the costs submitted by the countries, which is different for each member country.
"The tariff is determined according to the cost base. Each year, all Eurocontrol member countries submit a cost base. The representatives of the member countries of the organization and the airlines discuss this cost base. For example, if a country decides to increase its cost base, it has to justify it and most importantly it has to be agreed with many parties. Airlines always try to protect their own interests and not increase the navigation unit rate too much. Therefore, this process is carried out separately for each country, and there is no uniform approach here. That is, every country presents its own expenditure base. In particular, he presents a plan, what expenses he predicts for the next five years, and according to this, the next year's tariff is approved. About us, I can tell you that Georgia has reduced the tariff compared to last year. I cannot talk about the cost base in detail, but next year we will have a lower tariff than we had in 2022", Erkomaishvili said.
When asked whether the fee reduction will increase the rate of use of Georgian airspace, which has already increased by 80% this year, Erkomaishvili says that this is not determined only by the fee, although this is also an important factor.
"It should be taken into account here that any airline evaluates the issue of using airspace from the point of view of safety. Then comes the expenses. Other Eurocontrol member neighboring countries, for example Turkey and Armenia, have a higher tariff compared to us. This will definitely affect decision-making and will attract more airlines to our airspace", says the representative of Sakaeronavigatsia.