BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 15. Baku hosted CANSO (Civil Air Navigation Services Organization) Global ATM Summit this week, Trend reports.
Addressing the opening ceremony on June 12, Azerbaijani Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rashad Nabiyev noted that the event is important in terms of not only discussing issues in the field of air traffic management but also a sustainable future.
The Minister said that based on the IATA Global Air Transport Outlook forecast, the demand for air transportation will double by 2040 and will grow by 3.4 percent per year on average.
He mentioned that CANSO member countries control 90 percent of the world's air traffic, and they should use their collective experience and joint efforts as a basis for the future of sustainable and safe global air transport.
Nabiyev recalled that the organization has stepped up efforts to optimize flight routes and reduce environmental impact through the use of environmentally friendly aviation fuel. According to Nabiev, optimizing flight routes will reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by 10 percent, and clean aviation fuel can reduce life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent compared to conventional aviation fuel.
The Minister also noted that due to the provision of high-level aviation services and its location at the intersection of major air routes, transit traffic through Azerbaijan's airspace has increased 3.5 times since 2021, amounting to about 18,000 transit flights per month. He mentioned that the airspace managed by AZANS (AZAL's air navigation structure) is used by 209 different aerospace companies, including almost all leading airlines in the world, which is an indicator of confidence and trust in Azerbaijan's aviation capabilities.
As part of this summit, the Azeraeronavigatsiya (AZANS) Department of Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL - Azerbaijan Airlines) CJSC signed an agreement with Aireon to implement the Aireon Safety Dashboard and Aireon Locate platforms in its operations. According to Azerbaijan Airlines, the Safety Dashboard will provide the ability to analyze flight safety indicators, which will further optimize the management of aviation processes. In turn, Aireon Locate, which utilizes space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B), will be used for search and rescue operations worldwide. This platform is specifically designed for environments requiring rapid response to aircraft in distress emergencies.
Furthermore, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between AZAL, Aireon, and Metron Aviation aimed at the joint development of digital aviation analytics platforms. The document was signed by Farhan Guliyev, Advisor to the President of AZAL and Director of Air Traffic Management at "Azeraeronavigation," Don Thoma, CEO of Aireon, and Chris Jordan, President of Metron Aviation.
On the sidelines of the summit, Airports Council International (ACI) Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira informed that Heydar Aliyev International Airport and Ganja International Airport became members of ACI in spring 2024, which allows this international organization to develop cooperation in the Caspian Sea region and Central Asia. ACI in general represents the interests of about 2100 airports around the world, which is about 95 percent of the world's traffic.
The State Statistics Committee this week reported that cargo transportation by air transport in Azerbaijan from January through May this year amounted to 162,000 tons of cargo (an increase of 15.5 percent).
In general, the volume of cargo transportation by all types of vehicles in Azerbaijan from January through May 2024 amounted to 94 million tons, compared to 90.9 million tons in the same period in 2023. At the same time, 3.34 million tons of various cargoes were transported by sea transport (half of these cargoes were oil), 54.4 million tons by road transport (50.5 million tons from January through May 2023), and 7.65 million tons of cargoes were transported by railway transport compared to 7.59 million tons from January through May 2023.
Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company CJSC (ASCO) on June 14 ordered Baku Shipyard LLC (BSP) to build two tankers to increase the transportation of oil and chemical products, particularly across the Caspian, as well as three diving vessels.
This week, BSP told Trend that in 2025, two vessels, which have been under construction since 2023 - a RoPax-type ferry and an oil tanker with a carrying capacity of 8,000 tons (previous orders)—are scheduled to be transferred to ASCO.
ASCO tankers and ferries can be involved in cargo transportation along the Middle Corridor.
The development of the Middle Corridor was discussed at various
events this week.
Thus, General Director of Baku International Sea Trade Port CJSC
Taleh Ziyadov, noted that the availability of the port's
certificate from the UN maritime organization, "green port," is
positive for the development of the "green" status of the Middle
Corridor. According to him, in the future, it will be taken into
account through which supply chain containers pass in
intercontinental trade, and when the Middle Corridor becomes
"green," many companies will give it preference.
The Caspian Policy Center (CPC) in London organized the second international conference on connectivity in the Caspian region, where the Middle Corridor was discussed. Thus, CPC President Efgan Nifty emphasized that the Caspian region is a hidden gem full of potential, especially for international trade, and the Middle Corridor is a game changer for trade. According to him, the network of routes across the Caspian is changing the perception of connectivity, offering a faster and more efficient transition between East and West.
At the London event, former British Ambassador to Azerbaijan and CPC board member James Sharp said that to reduce transit times along the Middle Corridor, it is necessary to focus on Caspian ports and bottlenecks, looking at connecting elements such as port infrastructure as well as customs regulations. Overall, he believes that the Middle Corridor offers great opportunities and benefits for countries to promote regional connectivity on their own.
Furthermore, Kazakhstan's Ambassador to the UK, Magzhan Ilyassov, noted at the same event that one of Kazakhstan's priorities is to unlock the full potential of the Middle Corridor, which should be turned into a viable independent (rather than an alternative) route.
Secretary General of the International Association "Trans-Caspian International Transport Route" (TITR or Middle Corridor) Gaidar Abdikerimov in London noted that improving the route requires investment in both "hard" and "soft" infrastructure. He said investments in soft infrastructure, such as digitalization and improved communication between parties, as well as investments in hard infrastructure, such as building railroads, ports, and terminals, can help achieve the goals of maximizing the potential of the Middle Corridor by 2027.
EBRD Eurasia Infrastructure Director Ekaterina Miroshnik noted during the second Caspian Connectivity Conference (in London) that the bank has prioritized improving the efficiency of the TITR and intends to implement relevant projects.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Regional Director for Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, Ayten Rustamova, told Trend in an interview that regional trade in Central Asia will significantly benefit from the modernization and expansion of the Middle Corridor.
This week, Uzbekistan's First Deputy Transport Minister, Mamanbiy Omarov, met with a delegation from the European Commission for International Cooperation. The parties discussed cooperation within the framework of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor (Middle Corridor) coordination platform.
ÖBB Rail Cargo Group CEO Clemens Först told Trend in an interview that the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor) serves the broader strategic interests of Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB).
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