The Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) has started its flight operation on Karachi-Baku route with four flights per week and its first flight reached here on Tuesday. Speaking on the inaugural ceremony, Hasan Mammadzada, First Secretary at Azerbaijan Embassy, thanked Pakistani people for their continued co-operation. He recalled the moral help of Pakistani people during Armenian incursion against Azerbaijan.
He said there was vast business potential between Azerbaijan and Pakistan. He concluded his speech by quoting President Pervez Musharraf: " Pakistan and Azerbaijan are not friends--they are brothers".
The Chief Executive of Kashmir Corporation (Pvt) Limited, Shakil Aftab Kashmirwala, said that about a year-and-a-half back a joint ministerial meeting was held between Pakistan and Azerbaijan and it was proposed that an air service should be established between the two countries to accelerate bilateral trade relations.
He said that 'AZAL' and Kashmir Corporation and the Embassy of Azerbaijan carried out the spadework. Three months ago, the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, paid a visit to Pakistan and permission for four flights was granted to Azerbaijan Airlines to Karachi through the kind directives of President Pervez Musharraf, and today this whole exercise of air link between the two countries has become a reality.
He said that cargo agents are the backbone of aviation industry in Pakistan as 99 percent of the business is channelled through them. During 2004 travel industry generated more than $307 million in revenue and cargo industry generated $269 million in revenue ex-Pakistan.
"KCL is working with AZAL to design policy, which should be sales and market-oriented as per the environment of Pakistan while benefiting the end-users and the travel and cargo agents in Pakistan", he said.
He said that the Kashmirwala Group is the oldest and largest GSA company in Pakistan and enjoys support of travel and cargo industry. He assured the AZAL that no stone would be left unturned in carving out a name for AZAL as a service-oriented, friendly and highly efficient airline in Pakistan. He also solicited the support of travel and cargo agents in Pakistan to make AZAL's operation to Karachi a success story and AZAL should exercise soon its full traffic rights of four flights to Karachi.
Dr Vagif Iskenderov, Director, Commercial, Azerbaijan Airlines thanked the audience and introduced his country as a very ancient country. It has a population of 8 million in a rolling green steppe. Its language is a member of Turkic linguistic group and its history is embedded with a glorious past and prosperous future.
Dr Iskenderov said a lot of similarities exist between Azrbaijan and Pakistan, who share a common religion and ancestors. And he feels at home in Pakistan.
He talked about the modernised fleet the airline has acquired and then sought for air traffic to and from Pakistan. The national carrier, apart from Russian aircraft, has Boeing-757 and 727 and Airbus A-280 and A-390. Inclusion of such modern aircraft has improved the airline's service.
The auditing of the airline was successful and now it is a regular airline. The airline has the option for leasing Boeing 767 in the near future. The airline flies to London, Paris, Dubai, Moscow, Kabul, Tehran and some other destinations. Azal has agreements with PIA, Emirates, Air France and Austrian airlines. He profusely thanked the Karachi airport staff for their professional co-operation.
Nazim V Samadov, Station Manager, Karachi of Azerbaijan Airlines and Chingiz Aliyev, First Deputy Chief of co-ordination Department of Civil Aviation of Azerbaijan were also present on the occasion.