Part of an ongoing conflict between Russia and Georgia, two Russian emergencies ministry planes, an Il-62 and an Il-76, were scheduled to take off Monday to evacuate Russians living in Georgia, but a head of Tbilisi's airport administration said there could be a problem with one of the aircraft.
"The Il-62 is a passenger airplane, and we have no problem with it," Giorgi Mzhavanadze said. "But we have a problem with the other Russian emergencies ministry's plane, an Il-76. That is a cargo plane, and there may be a problem with that."
Last Friday, two days after Russian President Vladimir Putin called for immigration laws to be tightened, Russia deported 180 Georgians over alleged immigration irregularities and retrieved 180 Russians from Tbilisi.
And on Sunday, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili prevented the landing at the Tbilisi airport of Russian emergencies ministry's cargo planes carrying Georgian citizens, saying it was unacceptable to use cargo planes to transport people.
"It is absolutely unacceptable, when people fly in cargo planes," Saakashvili said. "We are not going to accept 'cattle wagons' anymore, only normal planes, with proper seating."
A spokesman said the Russian emergencies ministry has not received an official demand from Georgia to prohibit flights of the Il-76. He added the planes would only bring back Russians to Moscow, and said he was unaware if Georgians deported for immigration violations would be flown in on the same aircraft.
"The flights of the Il-62 and Il-76 were scheduled for 1.30 p.m. Moscow time (9.30 GMT) and 2.00 p.m. (10 GMT)," the spokesman said. "They are scheduled to return about 270 Russians."
Relations between Russia and Georgia have deteriorated after four Russian servicemen were arrested in Georgia on spying charges two weeks ago. Although they were released Monday, Russia suspended transport and postal links with Georgia and threatened to cut off money transfers.
