To soften the economic impact of Russia’s ban on flights to Georgia, Tbilisi is drawing up a plan to pay airlines up to

To soften the economic impact of Russia’s ban on flights to Georgia, Tbilisi is drawing up a plan to pay airlines up to €90 for each passenger brought to Tbilisi or Batumi through Yerevan, Armenia. In the three weeks since Russia stopped flights between the two countries, Russian tourism has dropped by 20%. Although cross border car traffic is unaffected, tourists who arrive by plane, spend more. Georgian authorities expect to pay two airlines a total of €1.2 million for the one-year subsidy program, reports Russian Railways Partner. The flight from Yerevan to Tbilisi takes 30 minutes.