China Eastern Airlines will start three weekly direct services between Shanghai and Tbilisi on July 15, opening a non-stop link between Georgia’s capital and one of China’s most important commercial centres. The route forms part of an emerging recovery in Chinese inbound flows to Georgia, which surged 44% in 2025.
The launch date was confirmed during talks between Georgia’s Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Mariam Kvrivishvili, and the leadership of China Eastern Airlines during her visit to the People’s Republic of China, the Georgian ministry said in a statement on April 25.
China Eastern will operate the Shanghai-Tbilisi-Shanghai rotation three times a week. The Tbilisi launch was first flagged by China Eastern Airlines in March 2026 as one of 30 new international and regional routes planned for its 2026 summer-autumn flight season, alongside new services to Tashkent, Adelaide and Cheongju.
The route replaces the carrier’s existing one-stop service via Xi’an, which has historically operated twice a week with a flight time of around 15 hours and 25 minutes from Shanghai Pudong.
Why the route matters for trade buyers
For DMOs, tour operators, MICE planners and hoteliers tracking the Caucasus, the launch is a significant supply-side development. Key implications:
The non-stop link removes the principal friction point in current Shanghai-Tbilisi connectivity, where travellers route via Xi’an, Urumqi, Doha, Dubai or Abu Dhabi. Direct services typically carry yield premiums and enable shorter, higher-quality itineraries.
Shanghai is China’s primary financial centre and a major source of outbound high-spending leisure travellers, with established demand for European-style destinations, wine tourism, ski product, mountain landscapes and cultural heritage, all of which Georgia offers in concentrated form within a compact geography.
The 3x weekly frequency is calibrated for a market entry phase rather than mass tourism volumes, suggesting room for upgauging or frequency additions if loads support expansion.
Chinese inbound numbers already growing fast
Georgia welcomed 127,895 Chinese tourists in 2025, a 44% rise on the previous year, according to Georgian Ministry of Economy data shared during the parallel China Southern Airlines talks earlier in April. Strong Chinese growth was already evident through 2024, when Q2 visits from China rose 127% year on year, partly driven by the doubling of direct flights between the two countries.
Georgia is currently in talks with China Southern Airlines on launching direct services between Beijing and Tbilisi, with the discussions also covering the potential development of a regional cargo hub along the Middle Corridor route. China Southern Cargo could gain access to Black Sea ports from Tbilisi via railway corridors and regional road networks under the proposals.
Visa policy already in place
Georgia introduced unilateral visa-free access for Chinese citizens for tourism stays of up to 30 days from September 11, 2023. A bilateral visa exemption agreement signed on April 10, 2024 came into force on May 28, 2024, allowing reciprocal visa-free travel for ordinary passport holders for stays of up to 30 days per visit, with a maximum of 90 days within any 180-day period.
The visa policy has materially reduced friction for Chinese outbound travel and positions Georgia competitively against regional peers including Türkiye, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Wider Georgia-China context
Georgia and China signed a free trade agreement in 2017, the first such deal between China and a country in the wider Eurasian region, and upgraded their bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership in 2023. The countries have since expanded cooperation across logistics, infrastructure, digital and tourism sectors.
The route launch coincides with Georgia’s role as Official Partner Country at ITB China 2026, scheduled for May 26 to 28 in Shanghai. ITB China is one of Asia’s largest dedicated tourism trade fairs, and the partner country position offers Georgia an elevated marketing platform across the Chinese travel trade.
Georgia recorded 6.86mn international visits in 2025, a 6.2% increase on 2024, according to data from Geostat and the National Tourism Administration. Russia remained the top source market with 26.1% of arrivals in Q3 2025, followed by Türkiye at 16.5% and Armenia at 11.8%.
International visitor spending reached approximately GEL14.3bn ($5.27bn) in 2024, up 11% year on year and 68% above 2019 levels. The first nine months of 2025 generated GEL12.02bn in international visitor spend, on track to set another annual record.
What to watch
Trade buyers should track:
- China Eastern Airlines schedule confirmations and equipment selection on the route, alongside any frequency increases as bookings firm up.
- Outcomes of the parallel Beijing-Tbilisi talks with China Southern Airlines, including any cargo hub developments along the Middle Corridor.
- Onward connectivity from Tbilisi into the wider Caucasus, including Yerevan, Baku and Black Sea coastal markets, which would extend the route’s catchment.
- Outcomes from ITB China 2026 in May, including any further bilateral aviation announcements or tour operator partnership disclosures.
- Continued evolution of Georgia’s broader China strategy, in the context of strained relations with the European Union and the United States over the country’s domestic political trajectory.