Azerbaijan aviation market more mature than Central Asia, IATA says

Azerbaijan’s aviation market is more mature compared to countries in Central Asia, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Speaking at a press conference on the sidelines of the 82nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit (WATS), in Rio de Janeiro, IATA Regional Vice President for Europe Rafael Schvartzman said Central Asian countries are currently experiencing rapid growth in their aviation sectors, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

According to him, the region is a very interesting case.

“Azerbaijan has been developing for quite a long time and is a more mature market compared to the Central Asian states, as it started this journey earlier,” Schvartzman noted.

He added that Kazakhstan had long been the regional leader and had made significant progress, particularly in improving aviation safety and exiting so-called “black lists,” which played an important role in the development of its aviation sector and local airlines.

Schvartzman further stated that Uzbekistan’s aviation market began opening up actively around a decade ago.

He said Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan share a common factor in that geopolitical crises have, to some extent, contributed to increased traffic and the unlocking of regional potential.

In his view, Azerbaijan was actively involved in international logistics and humanitarian operations early on, which helped develop major cargo terminals and cargo aviation.

“Today, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are in a different but largely similar situation. Restrictions on the use of certain airspaces are creating new opportunities for the development of both cargo and passenger transport. Now is the right time to identify and realize these opportunities in these countries,” the IATA vice president said.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov