Every journey starts at the airport: A machinery project in Baku reshapes the regional freight strategy
- Silk Way West Airlines is pursuing a dual strategy: renewing its fleet of wide-body cargo aircraft and building a dedicated cargo airport in the Almat Free Economic Zone, a Greenfield project designed to integrate air, sea, rail and road transport along the Middle Corridor to enhance regional and global connectivity.
- Alat Airport is being built with sustainability at its core, including green construction materials, solar energy, electrical ground equipment, water conservation, biodiversity protection, along with low-noise operations and incentives for environmentally friendly partners, with the aim of becoming the benchmark for sustainable aviation in the region.
- Digitalization and advanced automation will support operations, with a 30,000 square meter terminal featuring ASRS systems, state-of-the-art airport lighting, and real-time data integration across the supply chain, designed to increase efficiency, transparency and capacity from 500,000 tons today to 1.2-1.5 million tons per year in the coming years.
“The two major strategic pillars on which we are building our future are the renewal of Silk Way West Airlines’ fleet and the construction of our cargo airport in the Alat Free Economic Zone,” Wolfgang Mayer, President and CEO of Silk Way West Airlines, announced at the Caspian Air Cargo Summit in Baku. “These are the foundations of our future strategy.”
This frank assessment embodies the scale of Azerbaijan’s ambition and the risks involved in the new Alat Airport project. Located on the shore of the Caspian Sea, 70 kilometers south of Baku, the airport is the hub of a free economic zone designed to connect air, sea, road and rail freight along the so-called Middle Corridor. In contrast to the incremental expansions of existing hubs, ALAAT is a new project that aspires to redefine how a medium-sized country positions itself in the global shipping market.
Interview with Wolfgang Mayer: watch the video online
A strategic leap for Silk Way West Airlines
Silk Way West Airlines has grown to become one of the region’s leading freight carriers with a fleet of more than twenty wide-body aircraft. The next phase requires its own infrastructure, says Mayer.
“We started renewing the fleet four years ago,” he said. “At the same time, the second strategic pillar is to build our cargo airport in the Alaat Free Economic Zone. These are the two main pillars on which we are building our future.”
Why Baku? Geography above all. “Baku connects global markets with local and regional markets,” Mayer explained. “It’s this combination of connectivity that makes it a very attractive place. The barriers to doing business here are very low. It’s an ideal place to do logistics.”
The machines website was designed to take advantage of this. Its central opportunity lies in multimodality. “The biggest opportunity I see is the multimedia offering being facilitated by the new airport,” added Mayer. “We will connect air freight with rail and road transport along the Central Corridor. This will enhance the logistics offerings through the new airport.”
This strategy also reflects the limitations of existing infrastructure. Heydar Aliyev International Airport, the current gateway to Baku, has been under pressure from both passenger and cargo growth. A new dedicated cargo airport directly integrated with the free zone is seen as the next logical step.
Building a new center from scratch
Jawad Dabila, CEO of Silk Way AFEZCO, puts the decision in clear terms. “It was very wise to make such a decision to have our own airport, because by far Silk Way West Airlines is among the largest cargo airlines in the region,” he told ACW. “The idea came only three years ago. We decided that the best place was the Alaat Economic Free Zone, because it is, firstly, in terms of location, and secondly, a multimodal free zone. There is a sea port, a train station – in the middle between north and south and east and west. The only missing piece is the airport.”
Construction began in April 2024, and is scheduled for completion in late 2026 or early 2027. The scale of the project is notable. A runway with a length of 4,000 meters and a width of 75 meters is currently being implemented, and can accommodate 18 Code F parking spaces. A charging station with an area of 30,000 square meters is currently being constructed, in a joint project with dnata, which will provide ground services, catering and operations.
“We are building the largest charging station in the region,” Dabilah said.
The project is not limited to shipping. “We will also build business aviation facilities,” he noted, noting Silk Way West Airlines’ purchase of new Gulfstream aircraft and a joint venture with Luxair to operate them. “In the future, we are thinking about building a passenger terminal, which will be ready in 2029. It will complement Heydar Aliyev Airport, because there are destinations they do not fly to. We will not compete with them but provide more options for Azerbaijani and foreign travelers.”
This dual strategy reflects the pressure on the capital’s current airport. Azerbaijan’s tourism sector is expanding, driven by events such as Formula 1 and winter tourism in Shahdag. “As in any capital, you need at least two airports,” Dibella said.
Sustainability as a test case
If a machinery company is to make its mark, sustainability will be central. Debilah calls it a “green airport”, with a sustainable design from the beginning. “Every journey starts from the airport… Two miles of road takes you nowhere, but two miles of runway takes you everywhere. That’s why we decided to build a new green airport in our region,” he said at the Caspian Air Cargo Summit 2025.
He acknowledges that the challenge lies in the lack of uniform international standards for sustainable airports. The International Civil Aviation Organization provides guidelines on airline emissions, but little regarding airport operations. “Airport operations cover approximately three percent of the pollution,” he said, citing a study of 400 airports. “Aircraft operations – landing, take-off and taxiing – consume 57 percent, and ground transportation operations 40 percent.” He added: “We, as airport operators, can only reduce 3 percent, but we must pave the way for airlines to reduce 57 percent.”
The roadmap includes six steps: policy development, green infrastructure planning, sustainable construction methods, procurement of low-emission ground equipment, operational standards for waste and biodiversity management, and incentives for environmentally friendly partners.
The building choices reflect this. Green building materials, low-energy lighting, water conservation and biodiversity protection are integrated into the design. Solar energy generation is planned: Azerbaijan’s solar energy potential is 50 percent higher per square meter than the European average. Most ground equipment will be electrically powered; A minimum number of diesel units will be replaced with biodiesel.
Noise is another consideration. The airport is located 6.5 km from Alaz (12,700 inhabitants) and 26 km from Salyan (881 inhabitants). “We believe that the noise level will not exceed 60 decibels at the outskirts of the city,” Debila said.
He emphasizes that the goal is not abstract. “Alat Airport should be a benchmark for sustainable operations in the region. We will continue to collaborate with ICAO and stakeholders for continuous improvement and long-term commitment to environmental stewardship.”
Place machines on the map
Lars Gunnar Kommen, director of Euroavia International and organizer of the Caspian Air Cargo Summit 2025, offers an outside view.
“I think it will be unique,” he said. “How many airlines build their own airports? Not many. Maybe at first you wondered why they were doing it. But now, when I see the development and how Azerbaijan and Silk Way West Airlines are growing, I think this is exactly the right time. It is a great opportunity.”
For Komen, the impact extends beyond Silk Way West Airlines. “When you create such a strong base and build such a strong position, it automatically puts the country in a stronger position. It creates jobs, opportunities and development for the entire logistics sector, not just Silk Way West Airlines.”
Interview with Lars Gunnar Kommen, Director of Euroavia International: watch the video online
Today, Silk Way West Airlines handles more than 500,000 tons annually. Dabila sets ambitious goals. “In the next three or four years we will raise that to 1.2 to 1.5 million tons per year,” he said.
The driver is free economic machinery zone. Jawad Dabilah explained, “95% of our goods have been transited. Only 5% come from Azerbaijan. With the free zone, we hope to increase this percentage to 40-50%.” New residents – from light industry to pharmaceuticals and perishables – are expected to generate significant inflows.
Digitization and operational layer
Technology partners are already being lined up. Dnata, which specializes in cargo handling, will operate the 30,000 square meter terminal. Automation will be centralized. “Our charging station will be more advanced than the new dnata station in Amsterdam,” Dibella said. “We are using the latest technology from Lödige. We will have a fully automated system – ASRS – at the charging station.”
Another innovation is in airport lighting. “We will be the first airport in the world to use the latest AGL technology,” he said. “It is low-power, cable-based, and provides all the data about every lamp and substation. It is cheap, efficient and supports our goal of being the first green airport in Azerbaijan.”
For Bernhard Kindelbacher, CEO of ACL Airshop, which provides ULD management solutions to Silk Way West Airlines, the opportunity lies in the digitization of equipment flows. “We will support them to make sure their center is as efficient and digital as possible,” he told ACW. “Airlines and handling companies can use this data to make operations more efficient, faster and serve customers better.”
He is clear about the shortcomings of the industry. “We still use a lot of manual processes, but not enough real-time action,” Kindlebacker said. “Sharing data across the chain will increase efficiency in every process, while providing transparency and insights to the next partner.”
Between promise and proof
Alat’s ambition is broad. Runways and warehouses are easy to measure, but the test will be whether the new center can deliver the connectivity, efficiency and sustainability that its backers promise. There are geopolitical risks. The Middle Corridor is being shaped by the diversion of trade flows away from Russia, with all the uncertainty that entails.
But the logic is clear for Azerbaijan. Its control over its own infrastructure gives it the ability to influence its role in global trade. “Every journey starts at the airport,” Dibella said.
