Georgia’s Airports Reach Record Passenger Numbers in Early 2025

Between January and April 2025, Georgia’s international airports served a historic record of 2,189,558 passengers, marking a 13% increase compared to the same period in 2024, according to the Civil Aviation Agency. Growth was reported across all major terminals in the country.

Tbilisi Leads, Batumi Surges

The busiest hub was Tbilisi International Airport, which handled 1,442,458 passengers — up by 13%. Kutaisi Airport saw a modest 2% increase, reaching 506,564 travelers, while Batumi Airport recorded an impressive 44% growth, with 233,725 passengers.

A total of 10,082 flights were operated during the four-month period (+15%), including 7,744 scheduled and 2,338 charter flights. Air cargo volumes surged by 61%, reaching 10,599.3 tons, underscoring growing demand for Georgia’s air logistics routes in global trade.

Top Airlines in Georgia

Low-cost carrier Wizz Air remained the market leader with 392,454 passengers, accounting for 18% of total traffic. Other top carriers included:

Pegasus Airlines: 180,098 passengers (8%)

Georgian Airways: 160,437 (7%)

Turkish Airlines: 151,719 (7%)

Azerbaijan Airlines: 141,468 (7%)

As of May 1, flights from Georgia operated to 96 destinations, with 61 airlines serving the market. Four new international carriers joined in early 2025: British Airways, EasyJet, Edelweiss, and Transavia-France. Air Serbia will soon launch regular flights between Tbilisi and Belgrade.

Economic Impact and Government Strategy

Deputy Economy Minister Mariam Kvrivishvili emphasized the milestone as a sign of Georgia’s strength as a tourist destination. “This is proof that Georgia continues to attract international travelers,” she stated.

Officials expect the expansion of flight routes and entry of new airlines to boost passenger flows and strengthen aviation’s contribution to the economy. The sector’s growth supports tourism and benefits Georgia’s macroeconomic stability.

In Q1 2025, over 1.3 million visits were recorded in Georgia. Of these, 959,000 were for tourism (+2.2%). Top source countries included Turkey (225,000), Russia (219,000), and Armenia (181,000). Israeli tourism grew 72.9%, reaching 81,000 visitors, and Azerbaijan contributed over 64,800 trips (+25.9%).

Record Tourism Revenue

Tourism revenue reached $826 million, a record for this time of year, up 2.3% from Q1 2024, according to the National Bank. Russia remained the top contributor with $141.8 million, followed by Israel ($114.2M, +73.7%), and Turkey ($107M). Azerbaijan and Ukraine also made the top five.

According to Galt & Taggart, tourism income is projected to reach $4.5 billion in 2025, surpassing the $4.4 billion figure from 2024. Growth in traveler numbers is also expected.