Reuters: Georgia Bars Syrian Airlines from Crossing Its Airspace
Reuters reports that Georgia has denied two Syrian airlines access to its airspace in after Damascus recognized two Georgian breakaway regions as independents states last month.
“One of the airlines, Cham Wings, was revealed by a Reuters investigation in April to have transported Russian private military contractors to take part in the fighting in Syria,” the article reads.
Reuters says that Gocha Mezvrishvili, Head of Georgia’s Air Navigation Service confirmed them that the country’s airspace is closed for two Syrian airlines: Syrian Air and Cham Wings.
Mezvrishvili said he had sent a letter to the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation, which coordinates air traffic control in Europe and of which Georgia is a member, with a request not to route Cham Wings and Syrian Air flights through Georgia’s airspace.
“Flight-tracking website flightradata24.com showed that Cham Wings and Syrian Air flights between Syria and Russia stopped using Georgian airspace in June. They diverted instead to Georgia’s eastern neighbor Azerbaijan, adding about 30 minutes to the flight time,” Reuters says.
The two are the only airlines operating direct flights between Syria and Russia. Civilian flights between the two countries had been passing through Georgia because Turkey, the most direct route, denies Syrian aircraft overflight rights.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Syria released an official statement saying they recognized Georgia’s breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia (Tskhinvali) as independent countries on May 29.
Syria’s step was denounced by the whole international community except Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Nauru.
By Thea Morrison
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