Located on the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Georgia is a historical and hospitable country, which is a gateway connecting several important economic regions including Europe, the Newly Independent States (NIS), Turkey, the Caucasus as well as Central Asia. As a geographical centre of gravity, air traffic has been consistently moving towards east and south, and this trend is expected to continue into the future. The geographical location of countries like Georgia is becoming more important on a global scale, serving air traffic growth and further development of the aviation industry in general.

The hosting of Routes Silk Road is a clear endorsement of the ambitions of airport operator, United Airports of Georgia to attract new airlines into the country and improve connectivity across the Silk Road as well as into other markets. In an interview with The HUB Daily in the build up to the event, Kate Aleksidze, chief executive officer, United Airports of Georgia, said: ”I have a deep belief that Routes Silk Road 2014 will be of great importance to Georgia. This event will promote tourism development within the region, and offer aviation professionals the chance to broaden their network.”

In recent years Georgia has seen unprecedented growth of air transport, passengers and number of tourists – passenger numbers alone have grown by over 30 per cent since 2012 – and has developed some major infrastructural projects, not least David the Builder Kutaisi International Airport that opened in 2012, Georgia’s first low-cost airport.