Cargo airport near Baku to launch operations in Q1 2027

BAKU. July 2 (Interfax) - The construction of a multimodal cargo airport in Azerbaijan's Alat Free Economic Zone (FEZ) is scheduled for completion in Q1 2027, the deputy head of the FEZ governing body Ismail Manafov said.

"We have reached an agreement with investors to establish a multimodal cargo airport. Implementation of this project has already begun, with completion expected in Q1 2027," Manafov said on Wednesday at the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) business forum in Shusha, Azerbaijan.

The airport's initial handling capacity will be 500,000 tonnes of cargo, with subsequent expansion to 2 million tonnes annually, he said.

As reported, Azerbaijan's Silk Way Group is constructing the airport in the Alat FEZ, which is 70 km from Baku. The cargo airport will operate under the company Silk Way Alat Free Economic Zone, an entity established to promote Silk Way Group's logistics and infrastructure initiatives.

Silk Way Group previously announced plans to commission the cargo airport in the Alat FEZ by 2026.

The airport complex will feature 18 aircraft parking stands, a 4-kilometer runway, taxiways, an air traffic control tower, fuel and firefighting services and other auxiliary facilities. The project also encompasses the construction of freight forwarding warehouses, cargo terminals for perishable items and office buildings.