"Starting on July 8, 2019, flights of Georgian airlines to the Russian Federation will be suspended. The Georgian aviation authorities were informed about this by the Russian aviation authorities today," the statement reads.
The ministry noted that reasons for the move were the need to ensure "a sufficient level of aviation security," as well as Georgia's overdue debt for air navigation services.
The ban on the two airlines – Georgian Airways и MyWay Airlines – will be lifted as soon as they grantee aviation security, undergo an audit and repay the debt to the Russian firm, which provides air navigation services.
The total debt stands at $792,543 and 592,251 rubles ($9,396).
On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on suspending the air traffic with Georgia, starting on July 8, and ordered the authorities to ensure that all Russians currently travelling across Georgia be flown back. Moreover, Putin recommended travel companies to refrain from selling package tours to Georgia for the ban period.
