Syrian airlines have been banned from Georgian airspace recently in a move that has been confirmed as a direct retaliation for the Syrian government's official recognition of the breakaway republics Abkhazia and South Ossetia last month.
The move by Syria was announced in May as a gesture of gratitude to Russia for its military support during the civil war and the fight against so-called Islamic State terrorists.
The ban by Georgia will mean that Syria Air and Cham Wings will no longer be able to fly over Georgia and will have to overfly Azerbaijan instead, which could add extra time to flights. “I can confirm that Georgia’s airspace is closed for two Syrian air companies: Syrian Air and Cham Wings,” the head of Georgia’s Air Navigation Service, Gocha Mezvrishvili, told media. “We made this decision after Syria recognized our occupied regions.”