Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) carried 419,000 connecting passengers through Baku in the first nine months of 2026, up 29 per cent year on year, highlighting the capital's growing role as an international aviation hub.
The airline, part of AZCON Holding, operated 14,100 flights from January to September, carrying nearly 3.3 million passengers, including more than 2.6 million on international routes, according to figures released on Tuesday.
AZAL's average passenger load factor reached 79 per cent, while its on-time performance stood at 81 per cent. By the end of September, its network spanned 55 destinations.
Figures released by Heydar Aliyev International Airport on 10 September also showed a sharp rise in connecting passengers.
The airport handled 373,733 transfer passengers from January to August, up 34 per cent compared with the same period in 2025.
During the same period, Baku Airport served more than 4.9 million passengers and handled 39,525 flights.
Combined passenger traffic at Baku, Nakhchivan and Ganja airports exceeded 5.7 million, remaining broadly unchanged year on year, while flight movements rose 1.5 per cent.
The figures highlight a shift towards connecting journeys, with transfer traffic growing faster than overall passenger numbers.
AZAL has expanded its international network with direct services to Kars in Türkiye and the Kazakh cities of Atyrau and Aktobe. Tickets are also on sale for flights between Baku and Brussels.
Other carriers are also expanding services to the Azerbaijani capital.
Baku's international aviation network was already well established in August 2025, when overseas services accounted for 89 per cent of flight movements at Heydar Aliyev International Airport, according to official air traffic statistics.
Baku Airport reported that around 20 low-cost and hybrid carriers were operating direct flights to more than 20 international destinations in July.
New services in 2026 included connections to Tashkent and Chișinău, while Wizz Air scheduled twice-weekly flights between Baku and Bratislava starting 29 September.
The expanding network gives travellers more options and could strengthen Baku's appeal as a connecting hub.
AZAL's longer-term plans include a significant increase in fleet capacity.
In June, the airline added its fourth Airbus A320neo, bringing its total fleet to 28 aircraft.
AZCON Holding said the carrier aims to increase its fleet to 50 aircraft by 2032, with modernisation plans designed to boost operational efficiency and support new destinations.
Despite relatively flat passenger traffic across Azerbaijan's three main airports, the surge in connecting journeys, expanding route network and planned fleet investment suggest Baku is strengthening its position as an international aviation hub.
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