Azerbaijan.US
A recent cargo flight operated by Silk Way Airlines through Armenian airspace has sparked renewed discussion about the future of air connectivity between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
According to Armenia-based media reports and data from Flightradar24, an Il-76 aircraft flying from Baku to Nakhchivan used Georgian and Turkish airspace on its outbound route, while returning via Armenian airspace.
The information was later confirmed by Armenia’s air navigation authority Armaeronavigation, which noted that this was not an unprecedented case. Similar transit flights were allowed in 2025 due to adverse weather conditions.
The development quickly raised a broader question: could direct passenger flights between Baku and Yerevan eventually resume – including potential routes operated by AZAL?
Azerbaijani economist Natig Jafarli cautioned against drawing premature conclusions. Speaking to local media, he stressed that regular civilian flights would only be possible after the signing of a formal peace agreement between the two countries, backed by mutual security guarantees and clear legal frameworks.
“This is a long and complex process,” Jafarli said. “First, a final peace treaty must be signed. Then diplomatic and consular relations need to be established. Only after that, if there is real demand, can direct flights be discussed. In the near future, this is unrealistic.”
He noted that transit flights over each other’s airspace already take place under specific conditions and that Armenian carriers use Azerbaijani airspace when flying to third countries, particularly Turkey, shortening flight distances. However, such arrangements remain technical rather than political.
In a post-conflict scenario, Jafarli added, direct flights could serve tourism and practical needs, including so-called “nostalgia travel” for people displaced in the late Soviet period. Similar precedents exist elsewhere, such as air travel between the two parts of Cyprus after decades of division.
Still, he emphasized that restoring flights would require a high level of trust.
“Ironically, reopening air routes may be more beneficial for Armenia,” he said, pointing out that Azerbaijani airports could provide technical support and emergency landings if needed.
Direct air links between Azerbaijan and Armenia were suspended in the late 1980s amid escalating ethnic tensions and the outbreak of the Karabakh conflict.
Following Armenia’s occupation of Azerbaijani territories in the early 1990s, mutual airspace closures became permanent, driven by security and political considerations.
Although the 2020 war reshaped the regional balance, civil aviation ties have not followed suit. Recent technical exceptions, including Silk Way’s transit flight, suggest a cautious, limited shift – but not a return to direct air travel.
For now, experts agree: a single cargo flight does not signal normalization. Political agreements, security assurances, and trust-building measures remain the decisive factors.
