Middle Corridor Air Cargo: Why Forwarders Are Routing China-Europe Freight Through Tbilisi
China to Europe air freight now runs south of Russia, and Tbilisi sits on the route. Why Georgia works as a transit point, the Chongqing-Milan and Xi’an-Copenhagen freighter services already flying through it, and how forwarders can buy capacity on the lane.
The Caucasus Route: How Tbilisi Became a Transit Point for China to Europe Air Freight
Most China to Europe freighter flights used to cross Russia. Since 2022 they have not, at least for Western carriers, and the southern alternatives run over Central Asia, the Caspian and the South Caucasus. Tbilisi sits on that path. This article covers why the routing shifted, what Georgia offers as a transit point, which services already run through it, and how forwarders can buy capacity on the lane.
Georgia's cargo corridor in numbers
Figures from Georgia's Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development for the first half of 2025, plus the frequency of the Chongqing to Milan programme that routes through Tbilisi.
Why China to Europe freighters moved south
The EU closed its airspace to Russian aircraft on February 27, 2022, after Moscow had already banned flights from many European countries. Western carriers including Lufthansa, Air France-KLM and British Airways stopped crossing Russian territory, while several Chinese carriers kept flying over it. For airlines without access to Russian airspace, the routes between China and Europe now bend south.
The Middle East has not been a reliable alternative either. When Israel struck Iran in June 2025, Iran, Israel, Iraq and Jordan closed their airspace, and the Caspian Policy Center reported that many airlines moved traffic onto the Middle Corridor over Türkiye, the South Caucasus and Central Asia. That leaves a narrow band of airspace between Russia to the north and Iran to the south, and Georgia is in the middle of it.
What Tbilisi offers as a transit point
Carriers that have flown into Georgia point to two things: an efficient airport and a more open approach to traffic rights than some neighbouring states. Coyne Airways, the first carrier to use Tbilisi as a regional gateway, said as much to Air Cargo Next, and Cargolux, which has served Tbilisi since 2008, rated the cargo infrastructure highly and reported growing demand for trucking onward to Yerevan.
The ground side has grown around the airport. Gebrüder Weiss runs a 16,500 m² logistics site close to Tbilisi International Airport with bonded warehousing, customs clearance and its own rail siding. In June 2025 AD Ports Group opened the first phase of the Tbilisi Intermodal Hub, Georgia's first bonded container and intermodal terminal, linked to the rail network and to the Black Sea ports of Batumi and Poti.
The air numbers have moved with it. Preliminary Geostat figures reported by GBC show the number of freight flights at Georgian airports roughly tripled in the first quarter of 2025, and the Ministry of Economy put first-half 2025 airport freight at 16,500 tonnes against 10,500 tonnes a year earlier.
The services already running through Tbilisi
Georgian cargo airline Geosky has built its network around this lane. In September 2025 it began a fixed charter for COSCO Shipping Airfreight linking Chongqing and Milan through Tbilisi four times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. In April 2026 it added a Boeing 767-300F service from Xi'an to Copenhagen with a scheduled stop in Tbilisi, aimed at high-value cargo between Asia and Northern Europe.
Both follow the same pattern. A widebody freighter loads in an inland Chinese manufacturing city, stops in Tbilisi, and continues to a European gateway that suits the forwarder's distribution network. Chongqing and Xi'an are both major electronics and industrial production centres far from the coastal hubs, which makes direct freighter capacity from them harder to find.
What moves well on the corridor
- Electronics and components. High value per kilo, time-sensitive and produced in inland cities such as Chongqing and Xi'an.
- Automotive parts. Production-line shipments into European plants, where a missed delivery costs more than the freight.
- E-commerce. Consolidated parcels that need regular, predictable departures rather than a single large shipment.
- Pharmaceuticals. Temperature-controlled cargo that benefits from a dedicated freighter and fewer handovers.
- Regional distribution. Goods for Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Türkiye that can be broken down in Tbilisi and trucked onward.
Shipments with dangerous goods, oversized pieces or strict temperature ranges should be confirmed with the operator before booking, since acceptance depends on the aircraft, the approvals held and the handling available at each stop. Geosky's cargo page lists the shipment types it carries.
How to buy capacity on the lane
| Option | Best for | Commitment | What to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Block spaceAllotment on a rotation | Steady weekly volumes below a full aircraft | Agreed tonnage per flight, often for a season | Penalties for unused space and priority rules when flights are full |
| Ad hoc charterFull aircraft, one flight | Project cargo, urgent shipments, one-off surges | Single flight, paid in advance | Positioning legs, permit lead times and payload limits on long sectors |
| Fixed charterRecurring rotation for one buyer | Forwarders with reliable volume on a set day pattern | Weeks to months of scheduled flights | Load factor risk, which sits with the buyer |
| ACMIAircraft, crew, maintenance, insurance | Airlines and large forwarders running their own programme | Minimum block hours per month, often 1 to 3 years | Fuel, handling and permits are usually the buyer's cost |
Six questions to ask before booking via Tbilisi
- Is the Tbilisi stop technical or commercial? A technical stop refuels and swaps crews. A commercial stop lets cargo be loaded, unloaded or transshipped there.
- How is transit cargo handled? Ask whether freight stays on board, moves under bond, or is cleared and re-documented in Georgia.
- What is the door-to-door transit time? Compare from factory to European warehouse, including ground time in Tbilisi, not only block time.
- Which approvals does the operator hold? A Georgian carrier flying into the EU needs EASA third-country operator authorisation. Our guide to EU and UK wet-lease rules covers the approval side.
- What happens if a flight is cancelled? Check rebooking, substitute aircraft and how often the operator can recover a missed rotation.
- Can onward legs be trucked? For Armenia, Azerbaijan and eastern Türkiye, a road feeder from Tbilisi may beat a second flight.
Forwarders comparing intermediaries can also look at our list of air cargo charter brokers, and airlines building their own programme on the lane can use our guide to structuring an ACMI RFP.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Middle Corridor in air cargo?
The Middle Corridor is the trade route between China and Europe that runs through Central Asia, the Caspian, the South Caucasus and Türkiye, avoiding Russia. In air cargo, it describes freighter routings that pass over or stop in the region, with Tbilisi in Georgia used as a transit and transshipment point between Chinese origins and European gateways.
Why route China to Europe air freight through Tbilisi?
Since 2022, Western carriers have avoided Russian airspace, so routes south of Russia have gained traffic. Tbilisi sits on that southern path between China and Europe, carriers describe its traffic-rights regime as liberal, and the city has bonded logistics capacity near the airport and road links into Armenia, Azerbaijan and Türkiye.
Which freighter services connect China and Europe via Tbilisi?
Georgian cargo airline Geosky operates a fixed charter for COSCO Shipping Airfreight linking Chongqing and Milan through Tbilisi four times a week, launched in September 2025. In April 2026 it added a Boeing 767-300F service from Xi'an to Copenhagen with a scheduled stop in Tbilisi.
Is air cargo through Georgia growing?
Georgia's Ministry of Economy reported 16,500 tonnes of freight at the country's international airports in the first half of 2025, up from 10,500 tonnes a year earlier. Geostat data showed the number of freight flights at Georgian airports roughly tripled in the first quarter of 2025.
How can a forwarder book capacity through Tbilisi?
Forwarders can buy block space on a scheduled or fixed-charter rotation, book an ad hoc full-aircraft charter, or contract an aircraft on ACMI for a dedicated programme. The right option depends on weekly volume, how predictable it is and how much commitment the forwarder can take.
Key takeaways
Airspace closures over Russia and, at times, the Middle East have pushed China to Europe air freight onto a southern path, and Tbilisi is one of the few places on it with the airport, bonded logistics and traffic rights to act as a transit point. Freight flights and tonnage through Georgia have risen sharply, and dedicated services from Chongqing and Xi'an to Milan and Copenhagen already run through the city. Forwarders looking at the lane should compare door-to-door times, confirm how transit cargo is handled in Georgia, and pick the booking model that matches how steady their volume is. With peak season under way and Chinese New Year bookings starting, space for the next few months is being allocated now.
Shipping between China and Europe?
Geosky operates Boeing 767 freighters on China to Europe rotations through its Tbilisi hub, with capacity available as block space, charter or ACMI.
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