UAE airlines plan to open direct flights to Azerbaijan

By Azernews

By Amina Nazarli 

The national airlines of the UAE, Etihad Airways, plan to launch direct flights between Baku and Abu Dhabi, Azerbaijani Ambassador to the UAE Dashgin Shikarov said on October 5.

The negotiations on this regard are currently underway.

Moreover, low-cost airline Air Arabia also can open flights to Azerbaijan in 2017, he told Trend.

The direct flights from the third largest city in the UAE – Sharjah is planned to be opened to Baku and other cities of the country, the diplomat said.

Earlier, Shikarov said that Azerbaijan has offered the UAE to introduce mutual visa-free regime for citizens of both countries.

“Currently, there is a visa-free regime for persons with diplomatic and service passports, and since 2015, the UAE citizens has been visiting Azerbaijan on the basis of a simplified visa system,” he said.

Now Azerbaijan proposes to introduce a visa-free regime for citizens of both the UAE and Azerbaijan, the ambassador emphasized. “The UAE government has already given prior consent, and now the issue is under consideration,” said Shikarov.

Starting November 10, 2015, citizens of the UAE has visited Azerbaijan on a simplified procedure. They can obtain entry visa, valid for 30 days’ stay, at any international airport in Azerbaijan.

In 2016, Pegasus, Iraqi Airways, Fly Baghdad, ATA Airlines, Air Cairo and Komaviatrans began operating flights to Azerbaijan. With the entry of the winter flight schedule (October 30) into force Russian low-cost airline "Pobeda" (Rostov-Baku) and Iranian airline Mahan Air (Tehran-Baku) will open regular flights.