Batumi International Airport, named after prominent Georgian aircraft engineer Alexander Kartveli, will make a tremendous contribution to the development of the country’s tourism. said the Prime Minister of Georgia at the opening of the new terminal.

According to Irakli Garibashvili, despite the pandemic and recession, international investors - notably TAV Georgia, Batumi International Airport’s operator-invested an additional 17 million USD in Georgia, a fact that calls for due appreciation.

After expansion and refurbishment, Batumi International Airportwill be able to serve 1,200,000 passengers a year.

The airport’s expansion was due to growing passenger flows exceeding 600,000 in 2019. The construction effort employed almost 300 local residents.

Under the project, the existing passenger terminal, both arrivals and departures, was expanded, and the overall size of the new terminal grew from 4,000 m2 to 8,000 m2. In addition, the baggage processing area was also expanded in part, with a new conveyor system and one additional belt installed. Check-ins increased from 8 to 14, and border guard booths from 6 to 12 and from 6 to 8 in arrivals and departures, respectively. Two bus exits were added to the departure area, bringing up total number of bus exits for passengers to 6. In the same vein, the duty-free area was expanded, and so were Business Lounge and the airport’s parking area. Also, the airport now has new international-standard food outlets.