TBILISI, February 04, (ITAR-TASS). Russia and Georgia will resume direct passenger flights between the Georgian capital Tbilisi and the Olympic capital of Sochi on Tuesday for the first time since 2008. The Airzena-Georgian Airlines Company will make two flights a week on 90-seat Bombardier CRJ planes on Tuesday and Thursday.

The air carrier’s directors told journalists that they had applied to Russia for permission to make direct flights between Tbilisi and Sochi several months before in connection with the Olympic Games in Sochi.

“Russia has allowed us to make the flights until May but they may continue in summer when the demand is going to be even higher,” an Airzena representative went on to say.

The Georgian National Olympic Committee had also asked Russia to arrange direct air flights between Georgia and Sochi. In view of the fact that thousands of people in Georgia and Big Sochi have always wanted to see direct air flights renewed, Airzena-Georgian Airlines decided to launch them on February 4.

In recent years, Airzena-Georgian Airlines and Russian air carrier Sibir have been making charter flights between Tbilisi and Moscow, Batumi and Moscow and Kutaisi and Moscow. Russia and Georgia stopped all regular flights in August 2008. The charter flights were resumed in 2010.