Why Is Flying from Baku to Fuzuli as Expensive as Flying from One Country to Another in Europe?

From July 17, flights will begin at Fuzuli Airport. The ticket price for the Baku-Fuzuli-Baku route is 78 manat one way. Flights will be operated twice a week. In 2022, another airport, Zangilan International Airport, was opened. Last week, President Ilham Aliyev inspected the Khojaly airport, announcing that the Lachin airport will be operational next year.

There are other airports in different regions of Azerbaijan. While Ganja and Nakhchivan airports are operational, the airports in Zaqatala, Lankaran, and Gabala have not been functional for years. However, funds are allocated from the state budget annually for their maintenance. The ticket price of 78 manat for the Baku-Fuzuli route has not been universally accepted.

Rufat Guliyev, a deputy of the VI convocation of the Milli Majlis and a professor, told Turan that AZAL has just started these flights, and the pricing policy for flights to the liberated territories has not been fully approved: "It is possible that the flow of people wanting to visit these areas will increase, leading to lower prices." He believes that airports can be partially leased, and contracts can be made with other airlines. The deputy also reminded that airports are strategic infrastructures: "It should not be forgotten that airports are strategic infrastructures and if there are any revanchist sentiments among the Armenians, these airports will play a very important role."

Regarding the price issue, R. Guliyev said there are alternatives to flights: "You can also go to Fuzuli by car. But if we calculate the fuel cost, it is hard to say how economical that would be. It might be more cost-effective for a family to travel by car. The market economy has its own market laws, although the state regulates them in various ways. I think the price set at the beginning is not bad at all."

Economist Natig Jafarli told AzadliqRadiosu that there is no other way to make the airports in the regions profitable than to lease them to large companies: "Since Karabakh is a strategic point, leasing the airports built there might cause problems. But it would be more appropriate to lease the airports in Lankaran, Gabala, Zaqatala, and Ganja to foreign low-cost airlines without interfering in their operations. This could increase the number of flights."

Regarding the pricing policy, the expert noted that flights to the regions are only operated by AZAL: "There is no competition here, and the company sets the price itself. For years, subsidies have been allocated from the state budget for the Nakhchivan route. A similar situation may arise here as well. The proposed price – 78 manat – is really expensive. In Europe, long-distance flights from one country to another cost this much. If such a price remains, AZAL will likely ask for subsidies due to the flights not always being fully booked. If subsidies are provided, the price can be made cheaper."

The economist believes that the airports in Karabakh will be more profitable than other regional airports for several years: "There is significant interest in Karabakh. For some time, both Azerbaijanis living abroad and our compatriots living in the country may use these airports to create some activity. However, to keep domestic tourism consistently lively, just the pricing policy will not be enough."