IndiGo planning to start flying to Tbilisi from early next year: media

PanARMENIAN.Net - Indian low-cost airline IndiGo is likely to commence operations to Eastern Europe early next year with a flight to the Georgian capital of Tbilisi as part of its plans to connect Europe, Economic Times reports citing a source familiar with the company's plans.

The no-frills airline has already completed the safety risk assessment and station facility inspection of the Tbilisi airport, which is a mandatory exercise prior to launching a flight to a new airport, the source said.

IndiGo was planning to launch its services to Georgia which lies on the border of Eastern Europe and West Asia, from this February.

"All preparations are in place to launch services to Tbilis from early next year," said a source privy to development, adding the airline will deploy a 222-seater Airbus A321 Neo on the new route.

He said the safety risk audit and station facility inspection of the Tbilisi airport has already been carried out, adding that any operator intending to launch a flight to a new overseas airport will have to conduct such an exercise as per the ICAO norms. The same rules apply even to a new airport as well.

The IndiGo spokesman did not confirm or deny the plan.

Ryanair was the latest budget carrier to enter the Armenian market, announcing flights to Rome, Milan, Berlin and Memmingen starting from as early as January 2020.