Georgia Reevaluates Belavia Operations Amid U.S. Sanctions

Following the extension of U.S. Treasury sanctions against the Belarusian government over alleged 2020 election fraud, Belarus' national airline, Belavia, which operates daily flights between Tbilisi and Minsk, finds itself under scrutiny.

The Civil Aviation Agency of Georgia stated that a detailed examination of the sanctions' stipulations is underway, and subsequent actions will be decided accordingly. It's worth noting that, since June 2023, the agency had already limited Belavia's flights to Georgia using American-made Boeing 737 aircraft. Presently, the airline utilizes Brazilian-made Embraer aircraft for this route.

The Civil Aviation Agency elaborated, "Within our purview of ensuring passenger, flight safety, and aviation security, we stay abreast of restrictions and sanctions set forth by international civil aviation bodies and aircraft manufacturers. As a result of such sanctions by the manufacturer, we've restricted Belavia's operations in Georgia using Boeing aircraft since this June. As it stands, Belavia's flights to Georgia are exclusively carried out using Embraer planes."

The agency emphasized its commitment to collaborating with pertinent state bodies to delve into the fresh sanctions placed on Belavia by the U.S. Treasury's Foreign Assets Control Division, promising a calculated response once the review is complete.