Page 53 - GEORptSep22

25-km-long truck jams reported on Turkey-Georgia border as freight companies tell drivers to avoid Ukraine
serve the transportation of goods in the transport corridors through Georgia and Kazakhstan “in the long run”, the ministry said.
Trade, economic, transport and logistical questions between the two countries were also discussed at the meeting, where both sides noted economic trends between Georgia and Kazakhstan were characterised by a growing dynamic, with potential for “much greater” results.
The readiness of Georgia's transport infrastructure for facilitating transportation of cargo to Kazakhstan and Central Asia was also noted at the meeting.
Truck jams stretching around 25 kilometres have reportedly built up on Turkey’s Sarp border crossing with Georgia as a result of international freight companies directing their drivers to take diversions that avoid conflict-torn Ukraine.
Drivers hoping to deliver their goods to destinations via the South Caucasus countries of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan are having to wait days to get over the border, according to a report by daily Hurriyet.
Atif Kesim, head of the local chamber of commerce and industry in the Arhavi district of Artvin in Turkey, was quoted as saying: “I travelled all the way from Arhavi to Sarp. The line of trucks is unbelievable. If it goes like this, we will have to cancel the existing freight deals and export agreements. Logistics firms are facing serious problems, so are truck drivers.”
The traffic snarl-ups are a particular problem for fruit and vegetable growers in Turkey, whose main export market is Russia.
“It now takes up to 18 days for a truck to deliver fruits and vegetables to Russia, whereas it took only five days before. This means that produce’s shelf-life expires on the way,” Agil Lankon, a trader who trades goods across Turkey, Azerbaijan and Russia, was reported as saying.
9.1.3 Aviation sector news
Georgia’s Kutaisi airport returns to pre-pandemic numbers
Tbilisi Airport to receive larger aircraft following building of additional lane
Air passenger traffic at Georgia's second most active airport, Kutaisi International Airport (KUT), grew by 11% in July compared to the same month in the pre-pandemic year 2019, the United Airports of Georgia reported. In July, the airport served 93,919 passengers, compared to 84,728 passengers in July 2019.
Kutaisi International Airport has a positive trend in increasing the number of flights. In July, the number of flights at the airport amounted to 330, increasing by 24%. The number of flights in July 2019 was 267.
Currently, four airlines are conducting flights at Kutaisi International Airport to 28 directions in 17 countries. On August 1, Wizz Air returned the second aircraft based at Kutaisi Airport and resumed flights to Tallinn and Paris. Wizz Air has also increased the frequency to 10 existing destinations.
Tbilisi International Airport will be able to handle larger aircraft after an upgrade that includes the construction of an additional lane and a taxi yard, the Georgian Ministry of Economy said on 5 May.
The upgrades will increase the capacity and safety of the airport's runway and reduce aircraft takeoff and manoeuvre times, as well as other upgrades related to the modern signalling system required for the "full and proper" functioning of the airport and its runways. The airport currently has six runways.
Georgian Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili said the new runway will accommodate large aircraft used to carry cargo, pointing to a "growing flow" of cargo at the airport. He also added that investors are showing an increased interest in developing cargo capacity in the country, saying that Tbilisi Airport
53 GEORGIA Country Report September 2022 www.intellinews.com