“As you are aware, in line with global trends, the sharp rise in fuel prices has hit the airline severely; virtually 100% of operating costs are now going on fuel. The airline’s management is taking every possible measure to economise on fuel; daily work is being carried out with the crews to save every kilogram of fuel, yet despite all of this, we are still being forced to cancel a portion of our flights,” stated Valerian Chkhenkeli, Director of Flight Operations and Chief Pilot of Georgian Airways.

Chkhenkeli further noted that against this already grave backdrop, Eurocontrol is causing flight delays of between 30 minutes and two hours, ostensibly due to congestion in European airspace.

“This justification is utterly absurd, given that the active aviation season has not yet begun — it is only May — and in connection with the rise in fuel costs, a great many airlines, including British Airways, Lufthansa, KLM and others, have already reduced their flights. Allow me to explain what a flight delay entails for an airline: by that stage, the aircraft is already ready for departure, with passengers on board. The cabin’s air conditioning and heating systems rely on the auxiliary power unit, which consumes a substantial amount of fuel. Consequently, delays not only exacerbate the already considerable fuel costs but also lead to additional losses. Beyond the financial impact, more importantly, passengers suffer the most.

Passenger comfort is of paramount importance to us; a passenger paying for their ticket is entitled to depart on time and in comfort. Due to these delays, passengers face significant inconvenience, often miss their connecting flights and frequently become stranded at airports for 10-12 hours. In such cases, the airline is obliged to pay compensation, an additional financial burden caused entirely by the obstacles created by Eurocontrol. I am firmly convinced that decisions are being made by non-professionals within this organisation, because, as I have explained, May is not yet peak season. Many flights have been cancelled by numerous airlines, and there can be no question of airspace congestion.

In all likelihood, the slot allocations were planned last winter and Eurocontrol, through sheer unprofessionalism, is failing to account for today’s dire situation; the interests of passengers and airlines are being entirely disregarded. Rather than receiving support from airlines during this challenging period, all our efforts to reduce fuel costs and safeguard the company’s solvency are being undermined by Eurocontrol’s apparent lack of professionalism. I should also draw attention to the fact that Eurocontrol took approximately 120 million dollars from Georgian Navigation’s 2025 profits, a consequence of what was, at the time, a misguided decision to join Eurocontrol, and this organisation is extracting considerable financial benefit from Georgia, whilst simultaneously engaging in obstruction and the creation of obstacles for airlines and citizens alike. This is harmful not only to our company, but to the entire aviation sector and, first and foremost, to passengers. The situation is dire: passenger numbers have plummeted, airfares are soaring amid rising fuel costs, and airlines are incurring losses. In these challenging times, we look to our state and government to stand firmly by us. We hope that, as has been the case with other countries, our state and government will come to the airline’s assistance, enabling us to continue operating as normal,” states Valerian Chkhenkeli.