Georgian Airways on Wednesday denied selling tickets through Russian payment system Mir, following a controversy linking the airline to the platform on the backdrop of international sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine last month.

The airline said it had an agreement with the Spanish company WebSky.tech, which operates an international ticketing system and uses the Mir platform in addition to other technical means. However, the airline added its system was connected with Bank of Georgia, adding it was “impossible” for its customers to buy tickets through the Mir payment system.

Founder Tamaz Gaiashvili also pointed out Georgian Airways was the only airline company to fly during the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia to "ensure Georgia was not under an information blockade" during the conflict.

The National Bank of Georgia said on Wednesday commercial banks and card processing systems operating in Georgia were not in cooperation with the Russian payment system Mir.

• National Bank: commercial banks, card processing systems not cooperating with Russian payment system Mir

Operations in the Mir platform do not concern the Georgian financial system, the central bank said, adding the payment system of Mir cooperated with the de-facto authorities in Georgia’s Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia, which may violate the Georgian Law on the Occupied Territories.

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