At a time when the strategic importance of the country’s relations with Central Asia is further increasing, Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) has expanded its flight geography in Central Asia to 10 destinations in recent months by adding Shymkent, Atyrau, and Aktobe to its route network in the region. A total of 47 flights per week are operated across this network, which covers four countries. In 2026, nearly 400,000 passengers were transported on these routes, which represents a 35% increase compared to the same period last year.
According to information provided by AZAL to “Elchi”, Kazakhstan is currently the country where Azerbaijan Airlines has the widest flight geography in the region: Almaty, Astana, and Aktau are covered by daily flights, Atyrau by four flights per week, and Shymkent and Aktobe by three flights per week – bringing the total weekly number of flights across the country to 31. Direct air connections to six cities create flexible options for business trips, family visits, and tourism-related travel. In Uzbekistan, 9 weekly flights are provided with daily flights to Tashkent and twice-weekly flights to Samarkand, while the capitals of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek, and Tajikistan, Dushanbe, complete the network with 4 flights per week each.
Central Asian routes are important not only for those traveling to Baku but also for passengers transiting through Baku to other international destinations. In 2026, the number of passengers transiting through Baku on these routes was 58,734, which strengthens the role of the Baku air hub as a bridge between Central Asia and Europe/other destinations.
Passengers can take advantage of services such as ticket purchases, baggage and seat selection via the azal.az website or the mobile app, and earn miles with the AZAL Miles program. For passengers from Uzbekistan, payment options with “HUMO” and “Uzcard” cards are also available within the framework of the cooperation with “Uzum Bank”.