TBILISI, October 9 (RIA Novosti) - Tbilisi airport is unable to receive two Russian emergencies ministry planes, set to bring some 270 Russians back to Moscow from Georgia, due to technical reasons, a source in the airport administration said Monday.
As part of an ongoing row 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.
The source said that the airport was under reconstruction, and runway surface was being replaced.
"The runway cannot receive long haul planes," the source said, adding that it could, however, receive medium-range planes.
Earlier Ivan Volynkin, Russia's charge d'affaires in Georgia, said Georgia had revoked its permission for over-flights by Russian emergency planes.
"I have been informed that Georgia has withdrawn permission for the flights of two Russian emergencies ministry planes over its territory; I do not know the reasons," Volynkin said.
However, the airport said it had been Russia's decision not to send the planes to Tbilisi.
"According to our information, Moscow cancelled the flights," a source in the Tbilisi airport administration said.
Earlier in the morning, a member of the Tbilisi airport administration said there could be a problem with one of the aircraft.
"The Il-62 is a passenger plane, and we have no problems with it," Giorgi Mzhavanadze said. However, there were possible difficulties with another Russian emergencies ministry plane, the Il-76 cargo jet, he said.
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.
On Sunday, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili prohibited the landing at Tbilisi airport of Russian emergencies ministry cargo planes carrying Georgian citizens, saying it was unacceptable to use cargo planes to transport people.
"It is absolutely unacceptable for people to fly in cargo planes," Saakashvili said. "We are not going to accept 'cattle wagons' anymore, only normal planes, with proper seating."
The crisis in relations between Russia and Georgia escalated 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.
