Move over, all other airlines! I’ve just found the single aircraft I’m most interested in flying… thanks to reader Chris for bringing this to my attention.
Georgian Airways’ intriguing Boeing 767-300
I was familiar with Georgian Airways, the small flag carrier of the country of Georgia. The airline has a fleet of just five aircraft, and each is unique. There’s a Boeing 737-700, a Boeing 737-800, a Boeing 767-300, a Bombardier CRJ200, and a Bombardier Challenger 850 (a private jet used by the government).
The fact that Georgian Airways now operates a Boeing 767 comes as news to me, as I didn’t realize the airline flew wide body aircraft. But this is where it gets super interesting. When you look at Georgian Airways’ fleet page, you’ll see the plane is described as having 245 seats, including 227 economy seats, 16 business class seats, and… wait for it… two first class seats. Let me say that one more time — this plane apparently has TWO FIRST CLASS SEATS. In terms of exclusivity, Air France’s La Premiere has nothing on this!
I figured this was a misunderstanding, or something, but in the June 2024 announcement from the airline about the acquisition of this aircraft (okay, don’t ask me how the plane went from having 245 seats to having 250 seats, but either way, the two first class seat reference is consistent):
“The 250-seat aircraft has a first-class cabin. All seats, both first and business class, as well as economy class seats are equipped with individual control and multimedia systems.”
Also, can we all agree that the carrier’s livery kind of looks like it was made in Microsoft Paint? That doesn’t look real, right?
What’s going on with Georgian Airways’ Boeing 767?
What’s the story of Georgian Airways’ Boeing 767, and the mysterious first class? I did a bit of digging. We know the aircraft has the registration code 4L-GTR, so I pulled that up on Airfleets, and the 23-year-old jet has quite the history:
- In 2002, the aircraft started flying for Japan’s Skymark Airlines
- In 2008, the jet was transferred to Russia’s Rossiya
- In 2016, the jet was transferred to Omni Air International, a charter airline with a fleet of used 767s and 777s
Omni Air has several different configurations, since the airline acquires jets secondhand, and sometimes maintains the cabins of the previous owner. I think I figured out what’s going on here. One of the configurations references 16 business class seats and 227 economy seats, which matches up with what you’d expect, except for the two first class seats.
Well, when the plane flew for Omni Air, there were two seats behind business class that were used for crew rest. Is this what Georgian Airways is calling first class, maybe? For example, the seats are marked on seatmaps.com, and seem to offer lots of privacy.
An OMAAT reader also points to the below video from media in Georgia, which shows the interior of the aircraft.
I so badly need to fly this plane! The thing is, I can’t actually figure out how to book first class, and if that’s really a thing the airline sells. Can this actually be booked? Is there a dedicated soft product? What champagne do they serve? 😉
Regardless, I’ve been wanting to visit Georgia, and on top of that, this looks way better than what you’d otherwise get on most flights within Europe (this plane flies to destinations like Amsterdam, Milan, and Nice). So this 767 looks like the Emirates equivalent for Georgia.
Bottom line
Georgian Airways acquired a Boeing 767 several months back, which is the only wide body commercial aircraft in the country. That’s interesting in and of itself, though what makes this even cooler is how the plane is configured. It has two first class seats, or so the airline claims.
Anyone else fascinated by Georgian Airways’ Boeing 767? How do we get to the bottom of what’s going on here? Can anyone figure out how to actually book this first class?
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