The Legal Framework of Airspace Management
Airspace is part of state sovereignty, and its use is a strictly regulated field. Georgian aviation legislation determines who may fly in the country's airspace, in whose interests and under which rules, who provides air navigation services, and how the structure of the airspace is formed. This page explains the Aviation Code articles on the use of airspace, air navigation services, the structure and design of airspace, and flight priorities.
The Right to Use Georgian Airspace and Its Conditions
Under article 10 of the Code, any aircraft has the right to use Georgian airspace, in both international and local flights, in accordance with a bilateral or multilateral agreement concluded with the Georgian state. A carrier registered in Georgia and an aircraft registered in the State Registry of Civil Aircraft of Georgia use the airspace during local flights in accordance with Georgian legislation. Where the use of airspace is connected with rocket-artillery fire, blasting operations or other similar activities, it is permitted only on condition that the flight safety of aircraft is ensured. The rules for the safe conduct of such operations are developed by the Ministry of Defence together with the Agency and are approved by the Government of Georgia.
Air Navigation Services and Their Provision
Air navigation services comprise the organisation of air traffic — air traffic services, airspace organisation and air traffic flow organisation — as well as aviation communication, navigation and radiolocation services, meteorological services, aeronautical information services, and search and rescue services. They are provided in Georgian airspace, over the high seas where Georgia ensures air traffic services, and at civil aerodromes by an enterprise certified by the Agency; the certification procedure is approved by normative act, and the Agency likewise designates the provider, which operates in compliance with Georgian legislation, the ICAO Regional Air Navigation Plan and the General Plan for the unified European sky.
The Structure and Design of Airspace
The structure of Georgian airspace comprises air routes, local air lines, direct routes, permanent routes flown outside the boundaries of local air lines and air routes, cross-border air corridors crossing the state border, aerodrome districts, aerodrome hubs, ranges and pilotage areas, as well as restricted, hazardous and prohibited flight areas. This structure is approved by the Government, and information about it is included in aeronautical information publications and reflected on aeronautical charts. The structure is formed by the Agency in agreement with the Ministry of Defence. Other interested bodies may submit amendment proposals, which must be coordinated with the affected state bodies and military services. Disagreements are examined by a conciliation commission created under the Government for each case, with the interested parties participating; failing agreement, the courts decide. Material costs connected with changes are reimbursed by the interested bodies and organisations.
The design function likewise rests with the certified air navigation services enterprise: it designs the routes for air traffic services, minimum flight altitudes and other elements important for the safe servicing of air traffic. The rules for the structure and design of airspace — which also determine the classification of Georgian airspace — are developed by the Agency and approved by the Government by normative act.