BAKU, Azerbaijan,
September 10. Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are
preparing to resume passenger ferry services across the Caspian Sea
on the Kuryk–Baku (Alat) route, marking another practical step in
strengthening transport links between the two countries as trade
and cargo flows along the Middle Corridor continue to grow.
Kazakh Ambassador to Azerbaijan Alim Bayel announced the planned
resumption of passenger services on September 9. According to the
ambassador, the initiative came from the Kazakh side and was
supported by Azerbaijan, while the relevant transport authorities
of the two countries have already begun work to restore the route
as soon as possible.
Ferry services on the route operated until 2020, when they were
suspended amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the suspension, about
1,500 passengers a year used the service. Passenger numbers are
expected to increase once the route resumes, reflecting the
stronger economic and transport links between the two
countries.
The figure of 1,500 passengers a year was relatively modest even
before the pandemic. However, the environment in which the route is
being brought back has changed significantly. Over the past several
years, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have expanded their transport
infrastructure, increased bilateral trade and progressively
integrated their ports and rail networks into the Middle
Corridor.
This broader context gives the resumption of passenger ferry
services added significance. It is not simply the restoration of an
old route, but an expansion of a transport network developing in
response to growing demand for the movement of both people and
goods between Central Asia, the South Caucasus and Europe.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has repeatedly
highlighted the growing importance of the Trans-Caspian
International Transport Route, also known as the Middle Corridor.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, for his part, has described the
Middle Corridor as a strategic project connecting Europe and Asia
across the Caspian Sea. “The Middle Corridor is a strategic project
spanning a vast geography. It provides a reliable and secure route
connecting Europe and Asia through the Caspian Sea, serving as the
shortest and most efficient pathway for cargo transportation from
Asia to Europe and back. Azerbaijan’s favorable geographic location
- right at the crossroads of two continents - enables our country
to play a pivotal role in connectivity issues. Today, we can
proudly say that, thanks to Azerbaijan’s long-term vision and
tireless efforts, a major project like the Middle Corridor, which
provides better synergy between Asia and Europe, has become a
reality,” President Ilham Aliyev said in an address to participants
of the 6th Caspian Business Forum.
The resumption of passenger ferry services therefore fits into a
broader transport strategy pursued by Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan
under the leadership of Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Kassym-Jomart
Tokayev.
The Middle Corridor’s performance shows that this strategy is
already translating into substantial growth in actual transport
volumes. According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport, freight
volumes along the TITR increased by 22% in the first eight months
of 2026, while east-west transit traffic rose by 55%.
Kazakhstan’s Deputy Minister of Transport Zhanibek Taizhanov
presented the figures at the Georgian International Maritime Forum
in Batumi on September 7–8. The scale of the route has changed
considerably in just a few years. In 2021, freight volumes stood at
about 0.59 million tons, while by 2025 they had reached roughly
4.1–4.5 million tons. In 2024, volumes were estimated at around 4.5
million tons, up 62% year on year. Container traffic reached
approximately 77,000 TEUs in 2025.
Delivery times have also fallen significantly. Whereas
transportation along the relevant routes could previously take
28–32 days, transit times now range from 12 to 18 days in many
cases. Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are targeting further growth.
Joint plans call for Middle Corridor freight volumes to exceed 10
million tons by 2030, while container traffic is expected to reach
up to 300,000 TEUs by 2029. The Caspian Sea is a connecting link
within this system. Kazakhstan is steadily expanding the capacity
of its Caspian ports, including Aktau and Kuryk, while Azerbaijan
is developing the Alat port as one of the key nodes of the regional
transport network.
Kazakhstan plans to increase the capacity of its Caspian ports
from about 21.8 million tons to 30 million tons by 2030. The annual
capacity of the Middle Corridor itself is expected to rise from 6
million to 10 million tons. Around 90% of cargo leaving Kuryk is
currently destined for Baku.
The ferries will carry passengers, passenger cars, trucks and
railway wagons. The crossing takes about 18 hours in favorable
weather conditions. Services operate around the clock, but there is
no fixed timetable because departures depend on cargo availability
and weather conditions. The ferry service is not intended to
compete with air travel. Instead, it will provide an additional
transport option. There are currently 37 flights operating between
Baku and Kazakhstan’s Astana, Almaty, Shymkent, Aktau and
Atyrau.
The economic foundation for stronger transport links is also
expanding. According to Kazakhstan’s Deputy Minister of Trade and
Integration Asset Nusupov, bilateral trade between Kazakhstan and
Azerbaijan totaled $536 million in 2024, while trade exceeded $150
million in January–May 2026. “We are moving at a pace that, if
maintained, will allow us to confidently approach the $1 billion
mark,” Nusupov told Trend in an exclusive interview.
The two countries have already established mechanisms to reach
that target, including a Roadmap for the Development of Trade and
Economic Cooperation. The document calls for diversifying the trade
basket, increasing exports of non-commodity goods, expanding direct
B2B contacts and further digitalizing transport and customs
procedures.
These developments show that transport cooperation between
Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan is advancing alongside bilateral trade.
Rising cargo volumes create demand for additional infrastructure,
while improved infrastructure, in turn, creates more opportunities
for trade.
The OECD has also highlighted this connection. The organization
told Trend that
Kazakhstan is at the center of Eurasian connectivity and that the
development of the Middle Corridor offers significant opportunities
to strengthen trade links between Europe and Asia. “By improving
infrastructure, streamlining border procedures and deepening
regional cooperation, Kazakhstan can help create more efficient,
sustainable and reliable trade routes while strengthening its
position as a key logistics hub in Eurasia,” the OECD said.
The next stage of cooperation is digitalization. Kazakhstan and
Azerbaijan are exploring joint artificial intelligence solutions
for managing cargo flows, processing documentation and assessing
risks in cross-border trade. Nusupov said the two countries’
growing interdependence along the Middle Corridor creates a “unique
basis for joint AI solutions.” Potential areas of cooperation
include predictive management of cargo flows between Kazakhstan
Railways and the Baku International Sea Trade Port at Alat. “By
synchronizing our AI systems in logistics, we can increase the
speed of cargo movements while reducing uncertainty. This benefits
shippers across the region,” he said.
At the same time, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are working on other
elements of cross-border connectivity. A 391-kilometer fiber-optic
cable across the Caspian Sea, with a capacity of up to 400 Tbps, is
expected to be completed by the end of 2026. During the first eight
months of 2026, KazTransOil increased oil transportation volumes by
4%, while oil shipments toward the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline
rose by 12%.
These projects reflect a broader economic strategy pursued by
Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Kazakhstan is
seeking to strengthen its role as a transcontinental trade hub,
diversify its transport routes and improve logistics efficiency,
while Azerbaijan is consolidating its position as a major transport
hub linking the South Caucasus, Central Asia and European
markets.
Tokayev has described the Middle Corridor as “an important
factor contributing to strengthening Kazakhstan’s role as a
transcontinental trade hub,” while also highlighting the
development of the Smart Cargo digital platform. “To effectively
coordinate the transit transportation system, a unified Smart Cargo
digital management platform has been developed. Overall, expanding
the capabilities of the Middle Corridor serves the long-term
interests of our countries. In this regard, we have proposed
jointly implementing the e-permit project, which will enable
logistics procedures to be carried out electronically, in other
words, ensuring maximum transparency of processes and minimizing
administrative costs. I believe it is important to link the Middle
Corridor project with the Route for International Peace and
Prosperity (TRIPP) initiative,” Tokayev said at the
Kazakhstan–Türkiye Business Forum in May 2026.
President Ilham Aliyev, meanwhile, has said that according to
calculations, the Middle Corridor’s capacity is expected to triple
by 2030, while cargo transit times will be cut in half. “In the
Azerbaijani segment of the Middle Corridor, work is underway to
upgrade, digitize, and modernize infrastructure, as well as to
expand its transit capacity. Over the past three years, cargo
shipments along the Middle Corridor through Azerbaijan have grown
by approximately 90%, while transit times have been significantly
shortened. Projections indicate that by 2030, the freight capacity
of the Middle Corridor will triple compared to 2021, with transit
times expected to be cut in half,” the head of state said in his
address to participants of the 6th Caspian Business Forum, titled
“Connectivity, Finance, and Energy along the Middle Corridor.”
The sequence of these developments shows how the economic
policies pursued by the two presidents are creating demand for new
forms of cooperation. Growing trade requires additional logistics
capacity, rising cargo volumes require expanded ports and transport
infrastructure, while stronger business and tourism ties create
demand for additional passenger routes.
At their meeting in Bishkek on August 31, 2026, President Ilham
Aliyev and President Tokayev again discussed transport logistics
and the importance of the Middle Corridor. A year earlier, in
October 2025 in Astana, the two countries signed 15 documents and
presented a joint project for the development of the Middle
Corridor. The sides also discussed the possibility of establishing
a new Trans-Caspian ferry system.
Against this backdrop, the resumption of passenger services
between Kuryk and Baku is becoming another component of the
emerging transport network. Its significance will not be measured
only by the number of passengers using the service, but also by how
effectively the route can complement air travel, support tourism
and integrate with the Middle Corridor’s growing freight
capacity.
For Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, the move also points to a broader
shift from individual infrastructure projects toward a more
integrated model of economic cooperation. The transport and trade
policies pursued by Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Kassym-Jomart
Tokayev have already expanded practical cooperation between the two
countries, while the Middle Corridor’s growing performance is
creating conditions for further development.
The return of passenger ferries to the Caspian reflects this
broader trend. As Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan deepen their trade,
transport and investment ties, the infrastructure underpinning
their bilateral relationship is also expanding. The Middle Corridor
is becoming a central pillar of that connectivity, while the
policies of President Ilham Aliyev and President Kassym-Jomart
Tokayev are helping create the conditions for the Caspian route to
play a larger role in economic links between Central Asia, the
South Caucasus and Europe.
