Azernews.Az

Georgian airline Airzena has started making flights from Tbilisi to the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan - Erbil.

Making flights from Tbilisi to Iraq enables Georgian and Iraqi tourists to take advantage of direct flights, deputy head of the National Tourism Administration Mariam Kvrivishvili said.

She said that the number of tourists from Iraq to Georgia has recently increased. This stipulated opening a direct flight.

"The demand in this direction has sharply increased," she said. "There were 600 tourists from Iraq in 2011 and 7000 in 2012. Flights will be twice a week."

According to the Georgian airline, a one-way ticket costs $250 and a return $450.

"It is important to start making flights for the Iraqi people because it is known that many countries have banned issuing visas for citizens of this country," the deputy head of the Iraqi Civil Aviation Agency said.

He said that Iraqi citizens had to travel to Georgia using their own cars through Turkey.

According to Airzena, flights will be opened to other Asian countries soon. About 70 passengers travelled on the first Tbilisi-Erbil flight, as well as the Erbil-Tbilisi one.