Why Do Georgians Prefer Regular Flights? — How Georgia’s Air Travel Structure Differs from Others

In the first quarter of 2025, 95.7% of passengers in Georgian airports traveled on regular flights (source: Geostat). This figure has remained consistently high in recent years, suggesting that scheduled, stable flights continue to dominate the country’s air travel landscape. While the dynamic hasn’t shifted much, this proportion is noteworthy when viewed in an international context — is this typical elsewhere?

Across EU countries, the average share of passengers on regular flights was around 89% in 2023 (Eurostat). However, in some countries, the figure is significantly lower. For instance, in Greece — where seasonal tourism is highly developed — regular flights accounted for less than 77% of all passenger traffic. Similarly, in countries like Cyprus and Croatia, where charter flights are widely used to meet the demand for organized tourism, the share of regular flights ranges between 70% and 80%. In this context, Georgia’s 95% figure stands out as one of the highest and suggests a different travel culture.

Regular flights operate on fixed schedules and are available to individual travelers through standard ticket sales. Charter flights, on the other hand, are typically booked by tour operators and serve specific seasonal or event-based needs. While they offer flexibility, they’re also less predictable and highly dependent on tourism demand and travel packages.

In Georgia, the relatively low share of charter flights may indicate two main factors — first, the less pronounced seasonality of tourism, which reduces the need for large-scale temporary routes, and second, a passenger base largely driven by individual needs, whether for work, study, or family reasons.

By comparison, in countries like Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan, charter flights represent a higher share of total air travel. These markets actively use the charter model to boost internal and external tourism, often supported by government initiatives. Turkey shows a similar pattern, where long-standing partnerships between hotels and tour operators fuel regular charter schedules.

In Georgia, the market clearly favors stability — regular schedules, individual customers, and services provided by airlines like EasyJet, Lufthansa, and Turkish Airlines. However, this doesn’t rule out the potential future growth of charter flights. If interest rises in specific destinations, such as seaside resorts or regional airports, there may be more space for flexible, seasonally tailored routes to develop.

For now, the 95% share reveals that Georgia’s air travel market is firmly built on predictable, scheduled service — a reflection of both the country’s geographic context and the characteristics of its passenger base.