MOSCOW May 20 A politician representing his people , cannot be against direct flights, said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, commenting on criticism by the Georgian opposition of the restoration of the launch of direct flights between Moscow and Tbilisi.
“If you represent your people, and not an order paid by someone, you cannot be against a direct flight, given the number of citizens and families living in two countries at the same time,” she wrote in her Telegram channel.
Some politicians in Georgia criticized the restoration of direct flights with Russia, in the country's parliament, direct flights between Moscow and Tbilisi even became an indirect cause for a brawl.
Earlier on Friday, the Russian airline «Azimuth» made the first direct flight from Moscow to Tbilisi after the decision of the Russian leadership to restore air traffic between the countries. Opponents of this decision gathered at the Tbilisi airport on Friday afternoon, six people were detained during the action. They tried to break through the police cordon that prevented them from entering the airport building.
On Friday Rosaviatsia issued permission for Georgian airline Georgian Airways to operate flights between Tbilisi and Moscow. The Russian airline «Azimut» has also received the appropriate permission from the aviation authorities of Georgia to fly between the capitals of the two countries with a frequency of seven times a week.
Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier abolished the visa regime with Georgia, and lifted the ban for Russian airlines on direct flights to the country.