Azernews.Az

AzerNEWS Staff

Read more

Azerbaijan Airlines is expanding its Central Asian network as the region becomes increasingly important to Azerbaijan’s international ties. With the recent addition of Shymkent, Atyrau and Aktobe, the airline now connects Baku with 10 cities across four countries, offering 48 flights a week. Nearly 400,000 passengers have used these services so far in 2026, up 35% from the same period last year.

Kazakhstan is the airline’s largest market in Central Asia by number of destinations, with six cities served by 31 weekly flights. Almaty, Astana and Aktau have daily connections to Baku, while Atyrau is served four times a week, and Shymkent and Aktobe three times each. The schedule gives passengers more choice when planning business trips, holidays and family visits.

In Uzbekistan, the airline operates daily flights to Tashkent and two weekly services to Samarkand. Four flights a week to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and to Dushanbe, Tajikistan, complete its regional network.

Beyond direct travel to Azerbaijan, these routes provide connections through Baku to Europe and other international destinations. In 2026 to date, 58,734 passengers travelling on the Central Asian routes have connected through Baku, highlighting its growing role as a regional transit hub.

Passengers can use azal.az or the AZAL mobile app to book flights, purchase additional baggage and choose their seats, as well as earn miles through the AZAL Miles loyalty programme. A partnership with Uzum Bank also makes payments more convenient for passengers in Uzbekistan, who can use HUMO and Uzcard cards to purchase tickets.