The Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, Dimitri Kumsishvili, stated: "According to 2015’s data, the flow of passengers at Tbilisi International Airport exceeded 1,800,000. This spurred the implementation of expansion and the construction of a new terminal."
FactChecktook interest in the accuracy of the statement.
According to the official information of the Georgian National Tourism Administration, the flow of passengers at Tbilisi International Airporthas been rising annually since 2010.
Table 1:
Number of Passengers at Tbilisi International Airport (2010-2016)
| Year | Tbilisi International Airport | Difference in Percentage |
| 2010 | 853,001 | - |
| 2011 | 1,076,289 | 26% |
| 2012 | 1,253,464 | 16% |
| 2013 | 1,482,237 | 18% |
| 2014 | 1,620,058 | 9% |
| 2015 | 1,887,838 | 17% |
| 2016 (two quarters) | 923,458 | 20% |
Of note is that during the last years, the biggest growth in the number of passengers was registered in 2011 (26%). Additionally, the first two quarters of 2016 show a high growth trend. The number of passengers increased by 20% as compared to the same period of the previous year.
FactCheckalso took interest in international travellers (foreign citizens) and outbound tourism (Georgian citizens) at the airport.
Table 2:
International Travellers and Outbound Tourism at Tbilisi International Airport (2010-2016)
| Year | International Visitors | Outbound Tourism |
| 2010 | 44,697 | 406,504 |
| 2011 | 598,737 | 477,552 |
| 2012 | 751,464 | 502,000 |
| 2013 | 926,706 | 555,531 |
| 2014 | 993,271 | 626,787 |
| 2015 | 1,252,640 | 635,198 |
| 2016 (two quarters) | 639,121 | 284,337 |
As illustrated by the table, the volume of the flow of international travellers and outbound tourism has been rising annually. A significant part of the flow of passengers are international travellers and this is especially important for the development of Georgia’s tourism.
On 28 May 2015, TAV Georgia, which is the operator company of Tbilisi International Airport, and United Airports of Georgia signed a contract which envisages the rehabilitation of the take-off lane and runways as well as infrastructural development for the entire airport.
According to the information of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, TAV Georgia started to build a new terminal because of the increased number of passengers utilising the airport.
Conclusion
According to the information of the Georgian National Tourism Administration, the number of passengers at Tbilisi International Airport increased by 17% in 2015 and reached 1,887,838. According to the first two quarters of 2016, an even higher growth was registered – 20% – as compared to the same period of the previous year.
Therefore, FactCheck concludes that Dimitri Kumsishvili’s statement is TRUE.
