Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan eye increasing number of flights

Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan want to increase the number of mutual flights, Report informs referring to the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development of Kazakhstan.

This became known during a meeting of representatives of the ministry and the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan in Baku on the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR).

“The Kazakh ministry representative proposed to jointly develop road freight transportation on TITR, as well as to consider a proposal to increase the number of flights between the two countries. This initiative was met with a positive response from the Azerbaijani side,” the message says.

The parties also discussed the expected forecast volumes of cargo transportation along the TITR for 2022, the capacity of the sections of railways and the Caspian Sea, the conditions for the rechanneling of additional cargo flows, the creation of the so-called Middle Corridor and a promising joint venture that will resolve issues of through tariff formation and declaration of cargo, apply unified IT solutions and consolidate transit cargo on the route.

Speaking about the rechanneling of cargoes of Kazakh exporters to TITR, Vice Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development of Kazakhstan Berik Kamaliev noted that 2 million tons of Kazakh cargoes for export are ready for transportation through the TITR.

As a result of the meeting, the participants adopted a decision regarding the creation of a working group for the development of transit.

Since November 7 last year, against the backdrop of stabilization of the epidemiological situation in these countries, regular flights have been made between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan on Thursdays and Sundays in the direction of Almaty-Baku-Almaty. Since February 18, direct flights have been opened on the Baku-Aktau-Baku route and flights are operated three times a week - on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

Flights from Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan have been suspended since March 2020 due to the spread of coronavirus infection (COVID-19). Flights were operated in the direction of Almaty, Aktau and Nur-Sultan.