Development of Azerbaijan Aviation

[Rahib Gojayev]

As a new transportation hub in the region, Baku International Airport

profits from its geographical position and modern infrastructure.

 

By Rahib Gojayev

 

Due to the political, economic and social reforms carried out, Azerbaijan has been developing very successfully over the recent years and is ahead of other former Soviet Union republics. Major investments are being made in Azerbaijan. The country holds the first place among CIS and Eastern Europe for the volume of investments per each citizen. The transport sector, second largest sphere of national economy following the oil industry, plays an important part in the economic development of the country over the recent period. The international airport of Baku is becoming a new transportation hub in the Caspian and Caucasian region: due to its favourable geographic location and excellent equipment Baku airport managed to turn quickly into the premier airport in the region for transit flights between Europe and Asia. Several well-known European airline companies have already recognised the advantages of Baku Airport, geographical and technical as well. Two of them offer transit flights with a stop in Baku to further destinations in Central Asia. The number of both passenger and cargo airlines, which fly to Baku or make stop there, had been constantly increasing since 1999.

 

Nowadays the airport of Baku becomes the largest transit airport as it is on the Great Silk Road – the Europe-Asia transport corridor passes there. But it is hard to believe that the situation eight years ago was quite different than today. At that time the appearance of the Baku Bina airport was very depressing. Ugly structures and low security were observed. Flight control equipment and runways have become obsolete, while the procedures used at that time failed to meet modern standards. A new modern airport was supposed to be built during 1984 till 1988. On initiative of the former President Heydar Aliyev, who contributed a lot to the development of aviation in Azerbaijan even back in the Soviet Union times, the construction of the airport began in 1985. The construction operations were successful for some time: the main terminal building was even built up. However, due to the instability observed in the Soviet Union at that time, including Azerbaijan, and the inability of the then government to govern the country, the work was suspended. The construction of the international air terminal at the Baku airport in the early nineties was of particular significance for the young and independent Azerbaijan Republic, which just declared its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Mr. Aliyev, coming back to power after the common presidential elections in 1993, issued an instruction in 1996 regarding the new project on the airport complex. Only now the final reconstruction works of the airport complex could be started. A year later this project got a loan, allocated by the German government on very advantageous terms to implement the project under the "Emergency Assistance Program for the Baku Airport” On account of the loan of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, various air navigation equipment rooms and a dispatcher service area were built on a high level in the first section of the airport complex. The safety of air travel has been therefore brought to high levels meeting the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization. Besides, a hangar with an area of 12,000 square meters was built for Boeing 757 airplane, meteorological, radar and other equipment provided with up-to-date computers purchased and installed to ensure the safety of flights. The instruction of the airport provided with the modern equipment and meeting international standards was finished in 1999. This was a remarkable event in the history of the republic, for the new modern airport will allow in future to step up the intensity and security of flights at the Baku airport and “to speed up Azerbaijan’s contact with the rest of the World ” Experts of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) have highly evaluated the security level and services provided at the Baku airport and pointed out that they meet international standards. This Airport, a gateway of the country, is a new stage of the national civil aviation. It currently represents great importance for Europe, Asia, and CIS countries as well. 2004 after death of Aliyev the parliament of Azerbaijan Republic decided, due to the significance of the support, which the former President had provided for the Airport of Baku and for development of the republic aviation, to rename the Bina Airport to Heydar Aliyev International Airport Baku.

 

The government of the republic is aware of the favourable geographical position of Azerbaijan and makes efforts to develop the aviation industry with a hope that this sphere of national economy will soon bring more currency revenues. As a result the management of Azerbaijan gives unprecedented attention to the development of national aircraft. Recent investments in air transport are intended to strengthen Azerbaijan’s position as a potential gateway to Europe, Central Asia and the Far East. The civil aviation is an integral part of a national economy and it is becoming more and more profitable to invest in this market. In the past four years investments in the amount of USD 200 millions were made in Azerbaijan civil aviation. Much of this amount went to improve a fleet of national airline company – Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL). AZAL is a growing and constantly developing airline, it has very good prospects and serious support on part of the state. AZAL, the fleet of which, consisted of old Soviet airplanes, regularly renews its aviation depot by purchasing new efficient and reliable aircraft from the US and Europe. Azerbaijan Airlines was the first national carrier among air companies of the former Soviet Republics, which was the operator of the planes of type “Boeing”. It has begun operation of “Boeing” in 1992, and since then cooperation between “Boeing” and the Azerbaijan Airline successfully continues and extends. Now in the park of AZAL State Concern there are four planes of type “Boeing 757” and two models of older type – “Boeing 727”

 

The history of passenger air transportation in Azerbaijan began with the regular passenger flights operated for the first time in 1923 between Baku and Tbilisi Germany made aircraft “Junkers”. Before Azerbaijan gained its independence from the Soviet Union, AZAL had been a part of Aeroflot, Soviet Airlines and could only operate regional and local flights. Nevertheless, during this time Azerbaijan Airlines was one of the most profitable and active branches of Aeroflot, transporting 1,5 Million passengers per year. Since 1991 Azerbaijan Airlines, state owned national carrier of Azerbaijan, exists without monopoly of Aeroflot and after only more than 14 years of existing, the company has already become a part of the international air carriers and meets future traffic demand in the region. The planes in the colours of AZAL fly from Paris, London, Moscow and Istanbul to Baku and further with transit flight to the destinations in Asia like, New Delhi, Kabul, Karachi, Dubai and Aleppo. AZAL is expanding its range of destinations: in winter season the airline is going to operate flights to Rhein-Main Airport Frankfurt. The aviation concern accommodates new routes, thereby increasing its foreign exchange earnings and opening new important markets. As a result of these activities, the frequency of flights has increased and the geographic area of flights to and from Azerbaijan has expanded. Nowadays it became very easy to get to Baku than during the Soviet era having only one opportunity to fly to Baku via Moscow.

 

Economic indicators in the civil aviation industry improve every year. Aircraft of various airlines of the world fly over Azerbaijan’s air space. Last year's figures on transportation of both passengers and cargo are reassuring. The number of passengers at the International Airport of Baku has considerably increased. Last year the increase of the passengers number made up 27,8 %. British Airways taking into account an increased number of passengers has increased the flight frequency to Baku to seven flights per week. Lufthansa also increased the number of flights from 2 to 4 in June of this year. Besides national carrier AZAL and big Western airlines, two private air companies also benefit from the growth of the market in the Azerbaijan Republic. One of them IMAIR flies from Baku to several destinations in Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and offers charter flights for customers in Baku. The Azerbaijan-American joint airline company Turan Air offers direct air connections from the second largest city of the Republic Ganja to Baku, Nakhchivan and several big Russian cities.

 

National air company AZAL accelerates efforts toward turning Baku also into a transportation cargo hub. Taking into account the geographical position of Azerbaijan, which is taking place on junction of Europe and Asia, the basis freight traffic to Azerbaijan goes by air and for this reason it becomes very a important point for freight traffics. In January-October 2003, 41,500 tons of consignments were transported, while this figure made up 61,300 tons in 2004, which shows an increase of 47.7% of cargo transportation operations at the airport. For example, the Luxembourg’s Cargolux airline was administering 3 flights a week in the past, now this figure has reached 30. Due to increased amount of transportations made via Baku airport, the management of the airport decided to enlarge the capacities of the domestic cargo terminal and to build up a new and modern terminal. The construction of a cargo terminal meeting international standards was completed and on March 23 of this year it was inaugurated. The new terminal with handling capacity 100.000 tons per year and total area of 12,000 square meters is the biggest in the area of the former Soviet Union. With five times more capacity the new terminal will certainly make the whole airport a much more profitable facility. After new airport with modern cargo terminal and growing national carrier are provided, the aviation industry of Azerbaijan will definitely continue to develop and will be further able to expand its ties with various countries throughout the world.