Flight Operations Control Center opens in Baku
By Nigar Orujova
The Flight Operations Control Center has opened at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport.
President of the Azerbaijan Airlines closed joint-stock company Jahangir Asgarov and foreign experts got familiar with the facilities of the center.
One of the expert groups is responsible for registering the route of aircrafts at local and international airports, calculation of fuel, choosing the reserve aerodromes. Flight organization and management controllers got license of the US Federal Aviation Administration from the State Civil Aviation Administration.
The other group includes experts for providing air navigation of group flights. They are responsible for securing the flight permission at the airports worldwide and constant monitoring and analysis of the air space.
Former general of the US transportation command Duncan J. McNabb said that after talks with the Azerbaijani side it was decided that the center will be a perfect facility in aviation sphere.
"The center must be perfectly equipped. Holding the first European Games in Azerbaijan is the most important factor stipulating establishment of the Center," he added.
American expert Mike Senior said that this center is the world's first to handle four aircrafts at a time. This project is unrivalled, he added.
The specialists also noted the importance of the center for the whole region.
The Heydar Aliyev International Airport also opened a new air terminal complex this April. This airport will serve 6 million passengers a year, and together the old airport will be able to receive 9 million passengers every year.
The new airport terminal, covering an area of 65,000 square meters, has a grand four-storey terminal building in the shape of aircraft wings. The new terminal building provides top-quality service to passengers.
The building operates aerobridges capable of receiving 12 aircraft at a time. Two aerobridges are intended for accommodating the world's largest passenger aircraft - two-tier Airbus A380. Security measures are implemented in accordance with the latest standards.
The Heydar Aliyev International Airport operates flights to 33 airports in 15 countries around the world.
Inside the country, regular flights are operated to Nakhchivan, Ganja and Gabala, and charter flights to Zagatala and Lankaran.
The number of passengers transported from the Heydar Aliyev International Airport to different destinations and back in 2013 reached 2,857,000.