{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Airport",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "addressCountry": "Georgia",
    "addressLocality": "Sukhumi"
  },
  "airlines": [
    "Georgian Airways"
  ],
  "amenityFeature": [
    {
      "@type": "LocationFeatureSpecification",
      "name": "Domestic to Domestic Connection Time",
      "value": "45 minutes"
    },
    {
      "@type": "LocationFeatureSpecification",
      "name": "Domestic to International Connection Time",
      "value": "90 minutes"
    },
    {
      "@type": "LocationFeatureSpecification",
      "name": "International to Domestic Connection Time",
      "value": "90 minutes"
    },
    {
      "@type": "LocationFeatureSpecification",
      "name": "International to International Connection Time",
      "value": "120 minutes"
    },
    {
      "@type": "LocationFeatureSpecification",
      "name": "Interline Connection Time",
      "value": "120 minutes"
    }
  ],
  "city": "Sukhumi",
  "code": "SUI",
  "comparison_tool_link": "/compare/SUI",
  "connection_tips": "Sukhumi Babushara Airport (SUI) is a politically sensitive airport whose operating status has changed recently and remains irregular. Even after limited service resumed in 2025, travelers still need to verify current flights, legal status, and border formalities before treating SUI as a dependable gateway.\n\nMany itineraries still route through Sochi and continue overland depending on current access rules If the plan changes, a pre-arranged pickup or host contact is the useful backup, because the airport is really the handoff into Sukhumi rather than a place to wait around. The meaningful alternates are Sochi International Airport, which is why the backup plan matters more than the terminal amenities. Scheduled service is carried by Georgian Airways, so the first bank of the day is the one to watch. In practice, that means the airport works as Sukhumi's time-saving link to the rest of Georgia.\n\nTreat every segment here as one that needs fresh confirmation close to departure For connection planning, a pre-arranged pickup or host contact is the useful backup, because the airport is really the handoff into Sukhumi rather than a place to wait around. The meaningful alternates are Sochi International Airport, which is why the backup plan matters more than the terminal amenities. Scheduled service is carried by Georgian Airways, so the first bank of the day is the one to watch. In practice, that means the airport works as Sukhumi's time-saving link to the rest of Georgia.",
  "country": "Georgia",
  "flag_url": "https://flagcdn.com/w320/ge.png",
  "flight_search_affiliate_link": "https://book.beatthatflight.com.au/?currency=USD",
  "frequent_traveler_tip": [
    "Sochi (AER) is the most reliable commercial gateway for reaching the Sukhumi region.",
    "Arrange the border transfer in advance instead of assuming onward transport will be easy on arrival.",
    "Carry Russian rubles in cash, because card acceptance can be very limited in Abkhazia.",
    "Check entry rules and advisories again just before travel, because policy can change quickly.",
    "For Sukhumi-region travel, border logistics matter more than anything the airport itself can offer."
  ],
  "global_map_link": "https://www.google.com/maps?q=Sukhumi+Babushara+/+Vladislav+Ardzinba+International+Airport",
  "google_maps_reviews": {
    "rating": 0.0,
    "recent_reviews": [],
    "total_reviews": 0
  },
  "hotel_affiliate_link": "https://book.beatthatflight.com.au/?currency=USD",
  "iataCode": "SUI",
  "icao": "UGSS",
  "international": true,
  "last_modified": "May 2026",
  "last_updated": "2026-03-30",
  "latitude": 42.8582,
  "layover_planner_info": "Research facilities in advance for comfortable layovers.",
  "longitude": 41.128101,
  "mct_domestic_to_domestic": 45,
  "mct_domestic_to_international": 90,
  "mct_interline": 120,
  "mct_international_to_domestic": 90,
  "mct_international_to_international": 120,
  "missed_connection_help": "Contact airline desks or local staff for assistance with missed connections.",
  "name": "Sukhumi Babushara / Vladislav Ardzinba International Airport",
  "region": "Asia",
  "related_airports": [
    {
      "code": "AER",
      "name": "Sochi International Airport"
    }
  ],
  "terminal_info": "Sukhumi Babushara Airport operates in disputed Abkhazia territory under Russian military occupation since 1993, reopening May 2025 after 32 years with Moscow flights despite international condemnation and ICAO's 2006 cancellation of its aviation code. Built in the 1960s for Soviet beach tourism, the war-damaged facility now functions exclusively within Russian airspace, serving cities including St. Petersburg, Kazan, and Nalchik while Georgia and the EU denounce operations as violations of sovereignty.\n\nTerminal facilities underwent Russian-funded rehabilitation through a 2023 public-private partnership installing air navigation and surveillance systems demonstrating Moscow's operational control, though diplomatic constraints limit operations to Russian aviation space only. The dual-use infrastructure supports both civilian flights and rapid military deployment capabilities, bolstering Russia's Black Sea strategic foothold while most nations refuse recognition of Abkhazia's independence.\n\nOperational characteristics focus on circumventing international aviation protocols through Russian-only connections, with travelers typically routing through Sochi Airport for overland border crossings requiring careful coordination of entry stamps and security clearances. Cash transactions in Russian rubles dominate this politically sensitive environment where policies shift rapidly and card systems remain unreliable.\n\nStrategic importance encompasses expanding Russia's military presence along the Black Sea's northern coast, deterring NATO interests in Georgia, and maintaining control over territory that most UN members consider Georgian sovereignty under illegal occupation, while the airport's irregular status requires constant verification of flight availability and legal entry requirements before treating it as a reliable gateway.",
  "terminal_map_url": "https://skyvector.com/airport/UGSS/Sukhumi-Babushara-/-Vladislav-Ardzinba-International-Airport"
}