Georgian and Russian air carriers will start direct Moscow-Tbilisi flights this month with each conducting three flights per week.

Georgian Airways will start flights from August 20, the united transport administration at the Georgian ministry of economy said.

Russia's Sibir Airlines, operating under the brand name S7 Airlines, will start flights on August 23, the Russian air carrier said on August 18.

S7 Airlines said that resumption of flights was made possible after it had received permission from aviation authorities of the two countries.

The Georgian united transport administration described the planned flights as "multiple non-regular flights." It said that flight permissions were valid from August till the end of October.

Georgian Airways obtained permission to conduct direct Tbilisi-Moscow charter flights for number of times in the past; most recently such flights were conducted by the Georgian Airways in late May and June. 

Russia cut regular direct air flights with Georgia in October, 2006, following spy row between the two countries. The flights were restored in late March, 2008, but were again suspended after the August war.

Before the cut of regular flights, S7 Airlines was also conducting flights between Moscow and Georgia's second largest city Kutaisi, as well as between Moscow and Georgia's Black Sea resort of Batumi.

"In case of full-scale resumption of flights between the two countries, S7 Airlines is ready to consider possibility of restarting flights to Kutaisi and Batumi," the company said.