Developments that positively impacted transport sector of Azerbaijan took place in March 2012:
- Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev during his visit to the Astara region attended the opening of Kijebe-Ojakeran and Kijebe-Gedjimarda highway. This highway is used by are 12,000 people living in the Kijebe settlement and 9 villages.
- After major repair the Kur River, located on the Hajigabul-Bahramtepe highway was opened again;
- Azerbaijan plans to buy new trains for Baku-Tbilisi-Kars route. Negotiations are underway with producers from Spain to purchase new passenger trains that will run on this route;
- Azerbaijan Airlines moved to summer schedule of local and international flights.
In the first quarter of 2012, transportation of various cargo by transport sector made up 47.8 million tons or 4.3 percent more than the same period of 2011.
According to the State Statistics Committee, 70.5 percent of all volume of cargo transported in January-March accounted for private sector.
Of the total cargo volume transported, 48.8 percent accounted for road transport, 33 percent - pipelines, 11.2 percent - railway and 7 percent - by sea.
The passenger transportation during the reported period totaled 361.4 million people, which is 8.9 percent more than the same period of 2011. Passenger transportation by automobile was 86.6 percent, metro - 13.1 percent.
Automobile transport took the lion share in the transport field of the country during this period. The cargo transportation by vehicles in January-March 2012 made up 23.3 million tons of cargo or 7.4 percent more than the same period of 2011. Passenger transportation comprised 312.9 million people (increased by 9 percent) with 96.3 percent people using buses and 3.7 percent people - vehicles.
Freight turnover by road during the period grew by 7.6 percent compared to the same period of 2011, and passenger turnover - by 10.1 percent.
The Azerbaijan State Railway Department (ASRD) transported 5.4 million tons of various cargo or 7.1 percent more than the same period of 2011.
The number of loaded carriages made up 618 in average per day and unloaded - 504. Average daily load of carriages in the northern direction is 26,000 tons and in western direction - 4,900 tons, but in the southern direction - 2,900 tons.
The cargo shipping via sea increased by 8.5 percent compared to the same period of 2011 and amounted to 3.3 million tons. All cargo deliveries were implemented under the international operations. The volume of cargo processed in Azerbaijani ports was 3.3 million tons in January-March, which is 6.1 percent more than the same period of 2011.
Some 64.6 percent of cargo shipping fell on oil and oil products, while 35.4 percent on dry cargo. Volume of processed imported cargo decreased by 4.3 percent, while the volume of international transit cargos increased by 9.5 percent. As of April 1, 2012, 28,300 tons of cargo left in the ports for import, which is 45.9 percent more compared to the same period of last year.
In January-March, the export via oil pipelines made up 11.5 million tons. During this period, 77.3 percent or 8.9 million tons of oil was transported via the BTC (data provided by the State Statistics Committee). In January-March Sangachal terminal transported 962,900 tons of Turkmen oil via BTC.
Transportation via gas pipelines made up 5.9 billion cubic meters or 7.7 percent compared to January-March 2011. 25% of the transported gas fell on South Caucasus Pipeline. Some 1.3 billion cubic meters of gas was transported via this pipeline.
In January-March 2011, the passenger transportation via airways totaled 310,700 people, an increase of 14.6 percent compared to the same period of last year. The private sector's share in this type of transport hit 1.5 percent.
In January-March, 47.5 million passengers used metro or 8.7 percent more than the same period of 2011.
Some 9.3 million tons of cargo were transported through Azerbaijan via the Eurasian transport corridor in January-February or 4.5 percent more than the same period of 2011. Roughly 43.1 million passengers were transported within the corridor in January-February or 7.7 percent more than the same period of last year.
Transit of cargo through the territory of Azerbaijan in the first quarter of 2012 totaled about 4.61 million tons.