Tbilisi International Airport is the main airport serving Tbilisi, the capital city of Georgia. It is located at a distance of 17km to the south-east of the city.
The airport connects the city to various international destinations such as London, Paris, Moscow, Istanbul, Dubai and Frankfurt.
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The whole airport was renovated in 2007 to increase its passenger handling capacity to 2.8 million per annum. The airport served 1.06 million passengers in 2011. In December 2011 the airport welcomed its one millionth passenger of the year.
In 2011 the airport was awarded with the Golden Brand Award in the Transportation and Service category in the annual Golden Brand Ceremony, famed as the Business Oscars in Georgia.
A night train service was started at the airport from May 2012. It runs from the railway station located 70m from the airport terminal. It was previously accessible only in mornings.
Opening of old terminal building and architecture
The airport’s old terminal building, which was designed in a Stalinist architectural style, was opened in 1952. It was designed with a symmetric axes and monumental risalit floor plan. A new terminal with international design architecture was constructed in 1990.
Renovation by TAV and new infrastructure, roads and runway
In September 2005 TAV signed a build operate transfer (BOT) contract with Joint Stock Company Tbilisi International Airport for design, construction, operation and maintenance of overall airport renovation. The operational license is valid for 20 years.
The renovation project was initiated in January 2006 and completed in February 2007. It involved construction of a new terminal building with an area of 24,500 square metres and a capacity to handle 2.8 million passengers each year. A parking lot with an area of 5,570 square metres with parking capacity of 200 vehicles was also constructed.
A 47,400 square metre apron, 6,285 square metres of service roads, 14,500 square metres of connecting roads, 23,000 square metres of taxiways and a runway, with an area of 46,765 square metres, were added to the existing infrastructure of the airport. This huge project was completed just within one year.
Features at Tbilisi International Airport’s updated terminal
The renovated terminal has three passenger boarding bridges, 25 check-in counters, five boarding gates and three baggage claim carousels. It also has 58 remote aircraft parking positions.
The terminal also has a food and beverages area, gift shops and a duty free shopping area with three stores. Other passenger facilities at the terminal include an information desk, lost luggage office, banks and currency exchange offices, plus a medical point.
Parking and car rental facilities at Georgia’s main airport
The main car park is located in front of the terminal. It has a capacity of 370 cars. A CIP Primeclass car park is located on the right side of the terminal. A new parking area is being developed beside the CIP Primeclass car park.
The development work began in April 2012 and is expected to be completed by the end of May 2012. It will add 3,845 square metres of parking space with capacity for 192 cars. The apron near the terminal has 11 parking spaces.
The airport also brought in a fleet of Toyota premium class taxis for providing transport for the passengers travelling from the airport.
The facility, which was started in April 2012, will provide transportation up to the centre of Tbilisi at affordable prices.
Cargo handling companies at IATA: TBS
Three private cargo handling companies – Cargo, Lasare and Georgian Air Gate operate at the airport.
Contractors tied in to the airport project near Tbilisi
TAV Construction is the contractor for the development and maintenance of the airport, effective from the second half of 2005. It was involved in the construction of the new terminal and parking lot at the airport.
Systems Interface provided the airport with Instrument Landing Systems. TAV IT provided software related facilities for the airport.
AE Mechanical Georgia served as a subcontractor to TAV Construction in the construction of the terminal building. Afken Constructions and Bilkent Holding were also involved in the renovation project of the airport as subcontractors to TAV Construction.
Georgian Air Navigation company Sakaeronavigatsia awarded a contract to Systems Interface for installation of two ILS Marker Beacon Systems at the airport in January 2011. The airport will receive two Normarc 7050D ILS Marker Beacon Systems together with Yagi ILS Marker Antennas and Shelters, in addition to the two systems previously supplied by Systems Interface. This equipment will help the airport to facilitate scheduled daily flights and help navigate small propeller aircraft and helicopters.
TAV IT, a leading certified business partner of SITA, provides important information technology related services to the airport. These include an airport operational database (AODB) system, information exchange (IX) systems, a flight information display system (FIDS), resource management system (RMS), IATA parser and VIP / CIP operation and reservation suite.
