Georgia bans landing of cargo Il-76 with deportees from Russia

Today afternoon, two Russian Emergency Ministry's ("MChS") airplanes are going to arrive in Tbilisi with the aim to carry out to Moscow about 370 Russian citizens, "who were staying in Georgia on personal matters or as tourists and failed to leave for their homeland due to the stop of transport communications between the two countries," the ITAR-TASS was told today at the Russian consulate in Georgia.

The consulate representative noted that the aircrafts Il-62 and Il-76 will come to Tbilisi.

Meanwhile, they reported at the Administration of the Civil Aviation of Georgia that "a landing permit in Tbilisi has been granted only to one Russian MChS's plane - Il-62, which is a passenger liner intended to carry people." "As to the second one - Il-76, it is a cargo craft not intended to carry passengers, therefore, granting a permit for its landing is not yet decided," an Administration source told. At the same time, a consulate spokesman said that "there is a permit of the Georgian party to land both MChS's crafts."

Earlier, president Mikhail Saakashvili stated that Georgia is indignant with Russia's deporting Georgians by cargo planes of the MChS and called them "cattle-carriers."