Belavia Sanctions in Focus as Georgia’s Civil Aviation Agency Reviews U.S. Measures
The Georgian Civil Aviation Administration has stated it will review information about the latest U.S. sanctions on Belavia, the Belarusian state airline. This update was echoed in the agency’s social media communications, where officials outlined the ongoing assessment process.
According to the agency, Belavia has restricted its flights to Georgia since June, using American-built Boeing aircraft on routes that were previously served by the Belarusian carrier. Flights into Georgia are currently operated by Embraer, a Brazilian aerospace company, under a leasing or wet-lease arrangement that keeps Belarusian services connected to the region while avoiding direct aircraft deployment by Belavia itself.
Officials emphasized that a detailed review of the new U.S. sanctions on Belavia will guide any subsequent actions. Decisions will be made only after the agency completes its thorough examination of the sanctions package and its implications for Georgia’s air traffic and safety standards.
The sanctions list expanded in the days leading up to August, with five organizations tied to Belarus placed under penalties by the United States. Among them were Belavia, the Minsk Civil Aviation Plant, and the Financial Investigation Department of the Belarusian State Control Committee. The U.S. broadened its sanctions regime by adding eight more Belarusian entities or individuals, a move that aligns with wider international responses to the conflict in Ukraine. In the European Union, sanctions against 38 individuals and three companies connected to Belarus were introduced earlier to signal regional support for sanctions efforts.
Earlier developments indicated that a Belarusian embassy branch would set up operations in Krasnodar, a move seen by observers as part of broader diplomatic and logistical shifts in the region.