The Georgian Prime Minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, announced at a government session that a new international airport will be constructed in Tbilisi, a transformative mega-project for the city and the country.

“The decision to build a new airport was made based on several factors, including projected growth in tourism and the limitations of expanding the current airport. While expanding the existing facility would increase capacity to a maximum of 15 million passengers, constructing a new airport offers the potential to accommodate up to 19 million passengers initially, with further expansion possibilities,” the PM said.

Kobakhidze emphasized that the new airport will adhere to the highest modern standards and be fully compliant with contemporary aviation requirements.

“The project is estimated to cost approximately $1.26 billion. The new airport will contribute to economic growth, with an expected increase of 0.2 % in GDP growth. This would translate to an average addition of 350 million GEL to Georgia’s economy annually,” he added.

According to PM, the project timeline involves completing the planning and tender procedures next year to have the new airport operational within a few years. Kobakhidze expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Economy for their work on the project.