OMM Redaksiyası
Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are considering restoring passenger ferry services across the Caspian Sea after a six-year break. Kazakhstan has proposed resuming passenger transportation between the port of Kuryk and Baku, and Azerbaijan has supported the initiative.
Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Alim Bayel announced this. He said that before the service was suspended in 2020, ferries carried approximately 1,500 passengers annually between the two countries. Demand is expected to increase if the route is restored.
No launch date has yet been set. The timetable and ticket prices have also not been announced. Transport authorities in both countries still need to coordinate technical and organizational matters.
Most passenger traffic is currently handled by air. Approximately 37 flights operate weekly between the two countries on various routes. Under an agreement signed in 2002, citizens of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan may stay in each other’s countries visa-free for up to 90 days during mutual visits.
Alim Bayel said restoring passenger ferry services would increase tourism and mutual travel and could also expand the role of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, known as the Middle Corridor.
Freight transportation along this route continues. Ferries operate between Kuryk and the Port of Alat near Baku, and approximately 90% of cargo departing from Kuryk is sent toward Baku.
Kuryk Port’s railway ferry terminal opened in December 2016 and began operating at full capacity in August 2018. Baku was the terminal’s first destination, while other routes were added later.
Under the previous passenger service, ferries did not operate on a fixed schedule. Departure times depended on cargo volumes and weather conditions, while the voyage usually took 18 to 24 hours. During the previous service period, a passenger fare cost approximately $70-$100, a berth in a four- or six-person cabin cost $80-$120, and a seat in the common lounge cost about $50. These figures relate to the previous service, and no new prices have been announced in connection with a possible restoration.
The initiative comes as Kazakhstan expands the capacity of its Caspian ports and infrastructure along the Middle Corridor. Kazakhstan plans to increase the capacity of its Caspian ports from approximately 21.8 million tons to 30 million tons by 2030, while raising the corridor’s annual throughput capacity from 6 million tons to 10 million tons.
