Sukhum Airport: description, location, flights and reviews

In the middle of last century, Abkhazia was consideredan excellent place for recreation, in which everything that the soul of a Soviet man wished was concentrated. In fact, it was possible to plunge into the gentle waters of the sea, climb mountains and see lakes famous throughout the world for their changing beauty, as well as to touch the centuries-old history of this country, which is riddled with the numerous ruins of palaces and fortresses.

After the collapse of the USSR, all this splendor did not arouse the interest of travelers, and only recently tourism in Abkhazia began to develop at a rapid pace.

Resorts in Abkhazia

The Republic of Abkhazia can not yet boast offirst-class service comparable to the tourism industry in Europe and Asia, but you can relax here with comfort. Travelers richer choose expensive hotels and boarding houses, and budget tourists are located in the private sector for very ridiculous prices.

It is possible to relax in Abkhazia in almostevery corner of the country. Everywhere tourists will find historical monuments and wide beaches. Most often our compatriots go to Pitsunda, Gagra, Novy Afon and, of course, to the capital of the former Soviet republic - the city of Sukhum.

Abkhazia: Sukhum airport

Everyone who prefers air transport to land transport dreams of flying to Abkhazia. But the choice of tourists is not great - for international flights only one airport is suitable.

It has a very convenient location - justeighteen kilometers from the city center. The nearest village is the village of Babushary. Incidentally, this is the name and wore the airport Sukhum until 2010. Its runway can accept any civil aircraft, but at the moment passenger traffic does not rise above zero. In the last century, up to five thousand passengers were accepted daily, but at the moment even half of the previous figure would be a miracle for the inhabitants of Abkhazia.

After reconstruction, the runwayhas a length of almost four kilometers. This is much more than in Sochi. In addition, its quality meets all international standards. Russian builders made it as convenient and suitable for the simultaneous landing and take-off of several aircraft.

The whole history of the country by the example of one airport

Babushara Air Terminal was built in the secondhalf of the last century. During this period, the number of tourists wishing to get to Abkhazia, overflowed the airports of Sochi and other nearby resorts. Therefore, the construction of the complex was due to economic benefits and practical necessity.

The military conflict between Abkhazia and Georgia in 1993year suspended the flow of tourists to this country and significantly damaged the terminal building itself. The military used civilian vessels to transport refugees and weapons to the warring republic. The signing of the peace treaty did not return tourists to Abkhazia, so Sukhum airport was used only for domestic flights and communications with the CIS countries.

In 2010, the airport was named in honor ofthe first president of Abkhazia V.G. Ardzinba, a year later, together with Russian companies, the authorities of the republic began a large-scale reconstruction of the entire airport area. The cost of the project is estimated at several billion dollars. Under a mutual agreement with the Russian side, most of the costs are borne by our country. Abkhazia must provide airport services and establish air links with major world powers.

Abkhazia: Sukhum airport today

Dreams about establishing air communication with Abkhazia tostill remain unrealizable. Unfortunately, the world community does not want to take the side of the republic in the dispute over independence from Georgia. The airport has not received international status, and all civilian flights are banned. The length of the dispute between the republics has already exceeded a decade. At the moment no progress is being made in resolving the conflict.

Sukhum is the airport, the schedule of which,unfortunately, you will not find. Also now it is impossible to determine the price of an airflight from Russia to Abkhazia. At the end of 2016, the situation has not changed - the sky above the country is still closed. The building itself looks abandoned, the terminals do not function.

For more than a decade, civil aircraftThey did not visit Sukhum - the airport, all flights of which were canceled. The exception is the special liners of the first state officials and public organizations, such as the UN. This uncertainty is very frustrating for Russian tourists, who have to get to Abkhazia not the easiest and fastest way.

How to get to Sukhum from Russia?

The most common way to be onbeaches of Sukhumi is the railway connection between Russia and Abkhazia. Many tourists use this type of transport. From Moscow, such a journey will take just over a day, the trains run quite often. In the holiday season, you can leave any day of the week, in other months the message is delivered every other day.

Those who do not want to spend a day on the road toSukhumi, can take an air flight to Sochi. Already from there across the border, tourists are sent to Abkhazia. It should be noted that Russians do not need a visa to visit the country. This greatly simplifies an already long journey.

Sochi - the beginning of the road to Abkhazia

All Sochi residents know that in the holiday seasona message on the route Sochi-Sukhum airport is one of the most popular. Tourists should get to the Psou river, where the customs control is located. Experienced travelers say that the border crossing with Abkhazia takes no more than fifteen to twenty minutes.

On the control it is not required even the passport,since the usual Russian is checked only from our side. The Abkhaz customs officers skimmed through the document pretty quickly and missed the Russians in a few seconds.

The road to Sukhumi: different options

For Russian tourists transfer airportSochi-Sukhum would be the most desirable option from all possible. But, unfortunately, everything is not so simple. Travel to the border with Abkhazia will not be so fast and comfortable. The easiest way to get to the Psou river is by taxi, but its schedule is not indicated at the airport on any stand. In addition, in the off-season, tourists will not be able to take advantage of such a convenient service, since minibuses simply do not go.

Most visitors come from the airport torailway station by bus, taxi or train. Usually the road does not take more than ten minutes. At the station, tourists are transferred to the minibus to the border, it will take about half an hour. On the Abkhaz side, right next to the customs control, there is a bus station. From here you can quickly get to any city of the republic by a fixed-route taxi.

Many tourists prefer to travel toAbkhazia on his personal car, but this is far from the best and easiest option. Roads on the territory of the republic have not been repaired for a long time, so do not dream about comfortable and quick movement. The newest road in the country is the direction of Psou-Sukhum, but in the capital itself the situation with the road surface is more than deplorable.

Back way home

View all the beauties of the capital of Abkhazia forseveral days are impossible, although many are concerned about the way back home. But most often those who are not worried about the question of how to get to Sochi airport, Sukhum is not enough. Such travelers can travel from the capital to other resort towns and form their opinion about today's Abkhazia as a whole.

Traveling in the opposite direction does not representfor holidaymakers no special difficulties, but experienced tourists advise to count the time with a large margin. Despite the fact that minibuses to the border with Russia are on schedule, the road can sometimes take several hours. Drivers tend to stop at every stop along the way and collect all the passengers to earn more money for the flight. It is this fact and the quality of the Abkhazian roads that considerably increase the time en route to the Psou River.

Many Russian tourists dream to visitAbkhazia and see with my own eyes all the beauties of this wonderful land. But, unfortunately, transplants and a long road are turning Russians away from this trip. By opening Sukhum airport it could considerably facilitate the way to Abkhazia and still open it for tourists from all over the world.