Erdoğan: Lachin Airport opening a "major step" for Azerbaijan

President of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has described the inauguration of an international airport in Lachin as a significant development for Azerbaijan.

Speaking to journalists, Erdoğan expressed hope that the new Lachin International Airport would bring lasting benefits to the country, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

"I hope the opening of the Lachin International Airport proves beneficial for Azerbaijan. The launch of the airport in Lachin, following that of Fuzuli, marks a major step," the Turkish leader said

Earlier, the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Türkiye, Ilham Aliyev and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, inaugurated the Lachin International Airport, marking a major milestone in Azerbaijan’s post-conflict reconstruction efforts. 

Located in the mountainous village of Gorchu at 1,700 metres above sea level, it is the highest-altitude airport in the country and the third built in the liberated territories after Fuzuli and Zangilan.

The airport features a 3,000-metre runway, a 5,000-square-metre terminal with a 200-passenger-per-hour capacity, and a fully automated Air Traffic Control Tower meeting international safety standards. The €130-hectare facility is expected to enhance connectivity across the Karabakh and East Zangezur regions, supporting economic and tourism development.

The ceremony included a ribbon-cutting and symbolic key presentation. Later, the two leaders visited “Dost Agropark,” a Turkish-Azerbaijani joint agricultural venture in the region, which currently employs 120 people and aims to expand to 500. The agropark uses smart technologies and renewable energy to promote sustainable farming.

By Aghakazim Guliyev