Alexander Kartveli Batumi International Airport (BUS) Guide: Batumi, Georgia

Alexander Kartveli Batumi International Airport is the air gateway to Georgia’s Black Sea coast: Batumi boulevards, casinos, beaches, Adjara mountains, and cross-border Turkey routes. BUS is close to the city and very easy by taxi, but the cheap municipal bus is also unusually practical when timing works.

This guide is written for travelers who want the useful details first: the real airport name, where it sits, how much to budget for transport, what to expect in the terminal, where to search for flights, and which services to arrange before landing. Prices and routes are updated for June 2026 and should be treated as practical planning ranges rather than fixed promises.

Quick airport facts

Item	Details
Full airport name	Alexander Kartveli Batumi International Airport
Short codes	BUS / UGSB
Also searched as	Batumi International Airport, Batumi Airport, Alexander Kartveli Airport, BUS Airport
City and country	Batumi, Georgia
Practical address	Batumi, Adjara, Georgia; coordinates 41.60939, 41.600315.
Distance to city	About 6-7 km south of central Batumi near the Turkish border; bus or taxi rides usually take 15-25 minutes.
Updated	2026-06-15

Best for: Batumi, Adjara, Black Sea holidays, casino/weekend trips, Turkey-border travel, and Georgian coast road trips.
Main route logic: Turkey, Gulf, Israel, Central Asia, seasonal Europe, and Georgia domestic/low-cost links where scheduled.
Airport style: compact international airport with bus 10, taxis, car rental, cafes/shops, duty-free, and fast city access.
Planning rule: use bus 10 for daylight budget travel; taxi or Bolt is easiest with bags.

Address and location

Use Alexander Kartveli Batumi International Airport (BUS) for flight searches and Batumi International Airport, Batumi Airport, Alexander Kartveli Airport, BUS Airport as backup search wording in maps, hotel messages, and taxi conversations. The practical address is:

Batumi, Adjara, Georgia; coordinates 41.60939, 41.600315.

About 6-7 km south of central Batumi near the Turkish border; bus or taxi rides usually take 15-25 minutes. For a serious itinerary, save the airport coordinates offline, download the city area in Google Maps or Organic Maps, and keep your hotel address in both English and the local language where possible.

How to get from the airport to the city

Option	Typical time	Approximate cost	Best use
Municipal bus 10 to Batumi center	About 20 min	GEL 0.30 official fare	🚌 Best budget transfer.
Taxi / Bolt to center	15-25 min	Often GEL 15-30	🚕 Best normal transfer.
Private transfer to resorts/mountains	25-90+ min	Quote-based	✅ Best outside Batumi.
Rental car	15-25 min to city	Daily rental plus fuel	🚗 Best Adjara road trip.

Batumi Airport’s official bus page says municipal bus No. 10 runs Airport-Batumi Centre, stops in front of the terminal, takes about 20 minutes, and costs GEL 0.30.

Transport tips

🧾 Confirm the fare before loading luggage, especially when there is no visible meter or posted rate.
📍 Save the exact hotel pin offline; airport drivers may know districts better than street names.
💵 Carry small local cash for the first transfer, baggage carts, snacks, or phone calls.
🌐 Install an eSIM before departure so you can message your driver immediately after landing.

Public transport and metro

Batumi has no metro or airport rail. Use bus 10, taxi/Bolt, private transfer, or rental car.

Where public transport exists, it is usually best for daylight arrivals with light luggage. For late flights, family travel, heavy bags, or first-time visits, a taxi, hotel transfer, or pre-booked private driver is usually worth the extra cost.

Taxi prices and transfer strategy

Taxi prices around airports are rarely as neat as an official table. Time of day, luggage, driver availability, fuel prices, and whether the destination is inside or outside the central city all matter. The ranges above are realistic planning budgets, but the best practice is simple: agree the fare before moving, keep your phone map open, and avoid changing money with random drivers.

For smoother arrival logistics:

🚕 Use official taxi ranks or a hotel-arranged driver where available.
🧳 Pre-book a transfer if you land late, carry equipment, or travel with children.
🚗 Compare rental cars before arrival with DiscoverCars if you need regional freedom.
🏨 Use Expedia to check hotels near the airport and in the city before choosing a transfer.

Airport facilities, shops, and restaurants

International terminal with check-in, immigration, baggage, duty-free, cafes/shops, taxis, bus stop, car rental, parking, and basic assistance services.
Summer and casino/event weekends can make taxis surge.
If heading to mountain guesthouses, book a driver who knows the road.
The airport is close enough that central Batumi hotels are usually better than airport hotels.

The smart rule at BUS is to treat the terminal as a transfer point rather than as a shopping destination. Eat before arriving when possible, keep a refillable bottle where security rules allow, and bring a small power bank. If you have a long delay, an airport-area hotel or city hotel is usually more comfortable than waiting in the terminal.

Airlines and where the airport flies

FlightsFrom lists Batumi as Georgia’s third largest airport, with 26 destinations and 19 airlines in scheduled passenger traffic. Search Istanbul, Sabiha Gokcen, Ankara, Tel Aviv, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh/Jeddah-style Gulf links, Baku, Yerevan, Tbilisi seasonal/domestic links, Warsaw, Riga, Minsk-style regional routes where operating, and Central Asia cities.

Turkish Airlines, Pegasus, Georgian Airways/Georgian Wings-style carriers, Israir/Arkia-style Israel links, Flydubai/Air Arabia/Wizz-style regional operators, Air Astana/SCAT-style Central Asia carriers, and seasonal airlines appear by date.

Cheap routes to check first

Batumi to Istanbul/Sabiha: usually the most useful connection benchmark.
Batumi to Tel Aviv, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or Riyadh/Jeddah: check seasonal Gulf/Israel demand.
BUS versus KUT/TBS: compare all Georgian airports for coast trips.

Cheap airport strategy is different from simply sorting by lowest fare. Always compare the final cost after checked baggage, seat selection, payment fees, transfer costs, and missed-connection risk. A slightly more expensive flight into the correct airport can be cheaper than a low base fare that forces a long taxi ride or overnight hotel.

Where to buy flights and hotels

Start with broad searches, then verify the exact airport code before paying. This is especially important in cities with more than one airport or with airport transitions.

Need	Recommended booking link	Why it matters
Internet on arrival	🌐 Yesim eSIM	Install before flying so maps, airline apps, WhatsApp, and hotel messages work as soon as you land.
Flights and hotels	🏨 Expedia flights and stays	Useful for comparing nearby hotels, airport overnights, and onward tickets in one search.
Tours and transfers	🎟️ Viator tours and airport transfers	Best for guided city tours, day trips, private arrival transfers, and skip-the-line activities.
Rental cars	🚗 DiscoverCars	Compare local and international rental agencies before accepting a walk-up airport rate.
Travel medical insurance	🛡️ SafetyWing	Check coverage, exclusions, and country wording before travel, especially on complex itineraries.
Support this airport-guide project	🤝 Patreon: HEDONISMcloud	Helps keep airport guides updated with fares, route changes, and city transport notes.

eSIM, internet, insurance, and car rental

🌐 Internet: install Yesim eSIM before the flight. Airport Wi-Fi can be slow, blocked by SMS verification, or unavailable exactly when you need maps.
🛡️ Insurance: compare policy wording with SafetyWing. Read exclusions for the destination, adventure activities, medical evacuation, political/security events, and pre-existing conditions.
🚗 Cars: compare vehicles on DiscoverCars before arrival. Airport counters can run out of automatic cars or quote higher walk-up rates.
🎟️ Tours: use Viator for airport transfers, city tours, day trips, and guided experiences when independent transport is inconvenient.

Practical arrival checklist

Before you fly	Why it matters
Check the IATA code on the ticket	Prevents booking a hotel or transfer for the wrong airport.
Save airline, hotel, and driver contacts offline	Messaging apps may not work until data is active.
Carry local cash	Useful for taxis, snacks, and small airport expenses.
Recheck live departures	Regional schedules can change more quickly than major-hub schedules.
Keep insurance documents accessible	Helps at medical facilities and during airline disruption.

Safety and travel notes

Batumi is generally easy for visitors. Use app taxis or agree the fare, watch summer beach crowds, and use insurance that covers mountain roads if exploring Adjara.

The most reliable traveler is the boringly prepared traveler: documents printed, data working, transport confirmed, hotel address saved, and enough time between every moving part of the itinerary.

Short airport excursion idea

If you have a long layover or an overnight stop, choose one simple plan rather than trying to see everything. Stay close to the city center or a known hotel district, keep the return transfer booked, and avoid cutting the return to the airport too close. In smaller airports, a missed flight may mean waiting a day or more for the next practical departure.

Frequently asked questions

How far is Alexander Kartveli Batumi International Airport from Batumi?

About 6-7 km south of central Batumi near the Turkish border; bus or taxi rides usually take 15-25 minutes.

How much is a taxi from BUS airport?

Typical taxi planning ranges are shown in the transport table above. The safest method is to confirm the price before loading luggage and to use a hotel-arranged driver when arriving late or visiting for the first time.

Are there restaurants and shops at Alexander Kartveli Batumi International Airport?

Yes, but the depth of choice depends on the airport size and operating schedule. Expect practical cafes or snack options at smaller airports and a better range at major hubs. Carry backup snacks and water for delays.

Which airlines should I check first?

Is there a metro to the airport?