Airline Regulations under Georgian Aviation Legislation
The daily activity of an airline in Georgia is surrounded not only by the Aviation Code but by the many acts issued on its basis: rules, orders, directives, instructions and circulars. In international practice airline regulation is often described through the names of foreign regulatory systems, yet the requirements operating in Georgia are created precisely by the hierarchy of norms of the Georgian Code — specifically its Articles 9, 9-1, 9-2 and 10-2. This page explains how the system is built: who issues the acts, whom they bind, how they are challenged, and what the safety directive — the fastest instrument in the system — is.
The System of Normative Acts — Article 9
Under Article 9 of the Code, the regulatory organs of aviation activity, within their competence and on the basis of the Code and other legislative acts of Georgia, issue rules, orders, directives, instructions, circulars and other normative and individual acts binding on all owners and users of aviation assets — to regulate the conduct of aviation activity, the production of aviation assets, repair work, construction and operation, and for the immediate implementation of aviation security measures. The source of the binding rules is thus unified and works through a clearly defined institutional hierarchy.
By the same article, civil aviation activity, in addition to these acts, is also regulated by manuals, guidance materials and procedures approved by regulations or directives adopted by international aviation organizations and the European Union. In addition, draft normative acts of other ministries and agencies that contemplate explosions, shooting, the construction of tall structures and installations, the installation of power lines, the creation of radio interference and the performance of other work hazardous to safe air movement must be coordinated with the regulatory organs of aviation activity — every decision affecting air movement thus falls under aviation control.
Agency Acts and Their Challenge — Article 9-1
Article 9-1 defines the agency's own act-making: the agency's director issues normative and individual administrative-legal acts in the cases and within the limits provided by the law, other legal acts of Georgia and international treaties and agreements. The director is entitled, taking into account flight-safety and/or aviation-security requirements, to allow exceptions from the normative acts operating in civil aviation, within the cases and limits defined by the relevant acts.
For an airline, the rules on challenge and suspension matter no less: the agency's legal acts are challenged only in court, under the procedure established by legislation. Where a claim is filed in court, the operation of the corresponding act is suspended — except for an act issued because of a violation of the requirements of the 1944 Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation, its annexes and/or other normative acts of civil aviation, which endangered or could have endangered flight safety and/or aviation security. A claim against an act that created a safety threat therefore does not stop its enforcement.
The Safety Directive — Article 9-2
The fastest instrument of the system is the safety directive: a document issued (orally or in writing) or recognized by the agency, issued or recognized where it has been confirmed that a threat is posed to flight safety and/or public safety, and directed at the restoration of aviation security. A written directive must contain, at a minimum, a description of the threat; the legal or natural person to whom it relates; a list of the actions to be carried out — including, where necessary, actions to be carried out immediately — with justification of their necessity; the deadlines for carrying them out; and the date the directive enters into force.
In a case of urgent necessity, where immediate action is required, the directive is issued orally with the same information and is formalized in writing within a reasonable period. The person to whom the directive relates is obliged to ensure its performance within the set deadline, and the agency supervises performance. For an airline this means that a safety directive is an immediately enforceable legal burden, not a recommendation.
Oversight of Air Navigation Services — Article 10-2
Article 10-2 establishes the oversight system for air navigation services: this oversight — which comprises the certification of the air navigation services enterprise, the recognition or technical assessment of the technical means used in providing the service, the inspection and continuous monitoring of the enterprise, and the agreement of the safety management system and related documentation — is exercised by the agency in accordance with the Code, Georgia's international treaties and agreements, and the air navigation service rules developed on their basis. An airline, whether operating its own fleet or through lease, receives its navigation support precisely under this centralized oversight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below we answer the questions most frequently raised about airline regulations.
Who issues the acts binding on an airline?
The regulatory organs of aviation activity, within their competence and on the basis of the Code and other legislative acts — rules, orders, directives, instructions, circulars and other normative and individual acts; in civil aviation, the manuals and procedures approved by regulations or directives of international organizations and the European Union additionally apply.
Can an agency act be challenged?
Yes — only in court, under the established procedure. Filing a claim suspends the act, except where the act was issued because of a violation of the 1944 Chicago Convention, its annexes or other norms and endangered or could have endangered flight safety or aviation security.
What is a safety directive and how fast is it?
An agency document issued or recognized upon a confirmed threat, aimed at restoring aviation security; in an emergency it is issued orally and later formalized in writing, and the addressee must ensure performance within the set deadline.
Who controls air navigation services?
The agency — through certification of the enterprise, recognition and assessment of technical means, inspection, continuous monitoring, and agreement of the safety management system documentation.
How We Help on Legal.ge
If you run an airline or an aviation operator and want the agency's acts, safety directives or certification requirements to be met exactly, the specialists at Legal.ge will explain the system established by Articles 9, 9-1, 9-2 and 10-2 of the Aviation Code, assess your obligations, and help you prepare a challenge or compliance documentation. Contact us through the Legal.ge form.