Airport in Abkhazia to temporarily suspend operations
Sukhum airport to close
Sukhum airport in Abkhazia, which reopened in May 2025 after a 30-year closure, will temporarily suspend operations. From 25 October, it will stop handling regular flights, as passenger numbers have dwindled with the end of the tourist season. Airlines say flying to Abkhazia has simply become unprofitable.
The airport could remain closed until the beginning of May 2026. There is a chance that flights to Sukhum will resume for a couple of weeks during the New Year holidays, but for the rest of the time the airport will remain idle.
It should be noted that, due to the lack of an international license, Sukhum airport only handles flights from Russia. Its reopening was also funded by Russian investment.
To reduce losses, Abkhaz authorities are now trying to negotiate with Moscow to maintain at least one or two weekly flights through subsidies from the Russian budget.
Originally, Abkhaz officials had aimed to reach one million passengers by the end of 2025. In practice, however, these plans proved unrealistic. Official figures show that since the airport’s reopening—around five months ago—just 110,000 passengers have flown through it.
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Sukhum airport to close
