Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Danata, a leading global airline and travel services company, has signed a joint venture agreement with Azerbaijan’s Silkway Group to establish ground handling and cargo operations at the new Alat International Airport, located in the Alat Free Economic Zone in Baku.
The company said in a statement on Wednesday that the project, which will be launched with the opening of the new passenger terminal at Alat Airport in April 2027, represents a major investment in the future of the aviation and logistics sectors in Azerbaijan, as it will combine Dnata’s global expertise with Silkway Group’s leadership in the local market to provide integrated aviation services in Azerbaijan.
Alat International Airport will include advanced logistics facilities capable of handling more than 500,000 tons of cargo annually.
With handling volume expected to grow by 5% annually over the next decade.
In its early stages, the joint venture will focus on ground handling and shipping services.
Before later expanding to include catering services, customs clearance, defrosting, and a variety of other services.
This aims to build an integrated aviation services platform that provides carriers and customers at the airport with global levels of efficiency and quality.
1000 local jobs
The project is expected to create more than 1,000 local jobs.
With investments in training and skills development to create long-term sustainable opportunities in the Azerbaijani aviation sector.
Dnata is a long-term partner of the «Silkway» Group, as it currently provides a range of aviation services to Silkway West Airlines in five countries.
It handles approximately 1,150 flights and 85,000 tons of cargo annually.
Dnata CEO Steve Allen said: “Our joint venture with (Silk Way) represents an important step to expand (Dnata’s) global presence and support rapid growth in the Caucasus region”. Baku’s new airport will be a hub for cargo flows in the region, and our investment ensures safe, reliable, and high-quality services for carriers and logistics partners from day one.”
For his part, Chairman of Silkway Group, Zaur Akhundov, said: “Our partnership with (Dnata) constitutes a new step in the process of developing the aviation industry in Azerbaijan”. We are working together to build a modern system that connects the Machinery Free Economic Zone to the global aviation and logistics network.
