Zugdidi Airport

The airport ceased operations primarily due to economic reasons following the collapse of the Soviet Union. The state-subsidized system of regional aviation became financially unsustainable, and there was insufficient commercial demand to support the airport. The political instability and armed conflict in the neighboring Abkhazia region during 1992-1993 further disrupted regional transportation and sealed the airport's fate.

The airport is completely abandoned and in a state of ruin. The single asphalt runway is still visible from satellite imagery but is severely degraded, cracked, and overgrown with vegetation. All associated infrastructure, such as a terminal building or hangars, has been dismantled or has fallen into decay. The site is non-operational and is not used for any aviation-related activities. It is effectively an empty, derelict piece of land surrounded by agricultural fields.

During the Soviet era, Zugdidi Airport functioned as a key regional airfield. It provided vital domestic passenger and cargo links, connecting the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region with other major cities within the Georgian SSR, most notably Tbilisi. The airport typically handled small, short-takeoff-and-landing (STOL) aircraft, such as the Antonov An-2, which were common for local routes across the Soviet Union. Its strategic location near the Enguri River (the administrative boundary with Abkhazia) meant it also likely served a logistical and transport role for military and state purposes, especially during the period of rising tensions in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

There are no plans to restore or reopen the original Soviet-era airport due to its dilapidated condition and outdated design. However, there are active and high-profile plans by the Georgian government to build a completely new, modern international airport in Zugdidi. This initiative is aimed at boosting tourism in the Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti regions (a popular destination) and supporting the major economic project of the Anaklia Deep Sea Port. Government officials, including the Prime Minister, have repeatedly confirmed the project's importance, with announcements in 2023 and 2024 about moving forward with feasibility studies and design work. The new airport is planned to be built in the vicinity of the old one but will be a new construction designed to meet modern international standards.