The Middle Corridor is entering a very important stage of its development, Vice President of Silk Way West Airlines Vugar Mammadov said during his speech at the “German-Azerbaijani Strategic Partnership and Connectivity Conference 2026,” APA-Economics reports.
“For many years, we have talked about the Middle Corridor simply as an alternative transport route between Asia and Europe. Today, however, I think we need to look at it from a broader perspective,” he said.
According to him, the goal should not simply be to create another route: “The goal should be to create an integrated, reliable and competitive supply chain ecosystem. This distinction is important. Because a corridor is only as strong as the connections between the individual components that make it up.
“Railways cannot operate in isolation. Ports cannot operate in isolation either. Airlines are in the same situation. All these elements, including customs and digital systems, must work together.”
He noted that Azerbaijan is particularly well positioned to play this connecting role: “Geographically, we are located between Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, the South Caucasus, Türkiye and Europe. But geography alone is not enough. To turn geographical location into a real competitive advantage, infrastructure, transportation capacity and operators capable of using and connecting these various elements are needed. I believe Azerbaijan has made significant progress in this direction. As Silk Way West Airlines, we have been working for many years to transform Baku into a global cargo hub. Today, our network connects Azerbaijan with key markets in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas.”
Vugar Mammadov said that Germany is a particularly important part of this system: “We currently operate 12 flights a week between Azerbaijan and Germany. Therefore, when we talk about connectivity between the two countries, for us this is not a theoretical concept. This connectivity already exists. Aircraft regularly transport cargo between Baku and Germany, connecting German industry and consumers not only with Azerbaijan, but also with a broader geography through Baku.
“This is precisely where aviation can add an additional dimension to the Middle Corridor. Traditionally, when we talk about the Middle Corridor, we mainly refer to rail and maritime transport. Of course, these modes of transport will continue to form the backbone of the corridor. But not all cargo has the same requirements. For some cargo, price is the main factor, while for others, time is more important.”
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