Airport

The Airport district covers a vast area that includes not only Batumi’s air gateway itself, but also large sections of private housing, low-rise neighborhoods, and modern waterfront skyscrapers. The district is developing rapidly, attracting developers with its seaside location and significant reserves of available land. It also benefits from established infrastructure, including schools and kindergartens, Lech and Maria Kaczyński Park, and the Metro City shopping center.

Batumi International Airport, named after aircraft designer Alexander Kartveli, is fully integrated into the urban landscape and sits within the boundaries of the district that shares its name. As the city expanded, residential development gradually approached the airport, with some houses now standing remarkably close to the runway. A spot along the waterfront directly beneath the flight path has even become a favorite attraction for visitors eager to watch planes land from up close.

The current terminal was built in 2007 and is designed to handle up to 600,000 passengers annually:

At the entrance to the airport stands a monument to the Curtiss JN-4 biplane — a training aircraft that was highly popular around a century ago. Nearby is also a bust of Fatiko Gogitidze, the first Georgian female pilot.

The parking area near the terminal and the turning loop for city buses are both relatively small, giving the airport a cozy and surprisingly welcoming atmosphere.

And this is Giorgi Antsukhelidze Street, running almost parallel to the runway and leading directly toward the seafront:

The street is built up mostly with private houses, though in some places there are still large empty lots and even temporary structures used as homes — like this container house:

The first coastline, naturally, is being developed much more aggressively. High-rise buildings now occupy almost the entire stretch along Lech and Maria Kaczyński Street, the district’s main coastal avenue. Many residential towers and hotels have already been completed, while others are still under construction.

The waterfront promenade is beautifully maintained and becomes especially popular with locals and visitors during warm evenings.

The Airport district is also home to one of the city’s largest green spaces. The area consists of a landscaped park filled with walking paths and benches, bordered on one side by the seafront and on the other by dense urban development that includes the Metro City shopping center. Before the opening of Batumi Grand Mall, Metro City was considered the resort’s main shopping and entertainment center in terms of size and variety.

There are no amusement rides or large attractions here — it is more a place for peaceful walks and sunbathing.

The park is now surrounded by high-rise buildings, including the especially massive Orbi Beach Tower Batumi:

Nearby residential complexes are not falling behind either — for example, 7th Heaven:

In fact, the entire квартал around the intersection of Kaczyński Street, Sherif Khimshiashvili Street, and David Mamuladze Street has become one of the densest and tallest urban zones in Batumi. It is effectively a district of skyscrapers filled with apartments and hotel-style residences, and judging by the gradual release of land previously occupied by private homes, it will likely continue growing.

Some small houses from earlier decades still remain in place, others have already been demolished, and in place of some, towers now rise toward the sky. The city feels alive and constantly in motion:

David Mamuladze Street is gradually being rebuilt and transformed:

At the corner of Yusuf Kobaladze Street, Tbel Abuseridze Street, and Airport Highway:

As Airport Highway moves farther away from the city center, building heights quickly decrease. Yet the coastal skyline is now so tall that it remains visible from far away. Batumi is rapidly changing its appearance:

When high-rise buildings do appear farther out, they usually stand alone rather than as part of larger clusters or districts:

The private housing sector of the Airport district is just as diverse as its high-rise developments. Here you can find luxurious mansions, neat rows of townhouses, aging cottages, and unfinished concrete shells.

But the district is changing almost month by month, and its less developed areas are clearly still waiting for their future.