Heydar Aliyev International Airport (GYD) served 7.64 million passengers in 2025, cementing its position as the busiest airport in Azerbaijan and the 11th busiest in the post-Soviet states. The figure is up from 7.54 million in 2024 and 5.7 million in 2023 — continuing a steep recovery and growth trajectory since the pandemic.
2025 in numbers
- Total passengers: 7,640,000
- International passengers: 6.9 million
- Transit passengers: 970,000 — approximately 30% growth versus 2024
- Airlines operating: 40
- International destinations served: 75
Carrier mix
- Foreign airlines: 51.2% of international passengers
- National carrier (Azerbaijan Airlines / AZAL): 48.8%
The carrier-mix balance reflects how successfully GYD has positioned itself as a transit and connection hub rather than a purely point-to-point market. Foreign airlines now account for slightly over half of international traffic — a figure that signals genuine multi-airline competition on most major routes.
Most popular destinations from Baku in 2025
The top-five list is consistent with GYD’s geographic position as the natural connector between the South Caucasus, Türkiye, the Russian Federation, and the Gulf. Istanbul remains the dominant city pair by frequency, with Turkish Airlines, Pegasus, AnadoluJet, AZAL and Buta Airways all operating multiple daily services between the two cities.
Transit traffic surge
The 970,000 transit passengers in 2025 represent roughly a 30% increase over 2024 — the strongest growth segment in the airport’s mix. Transit growth has been driven by AZAL’s network expansion and by GYD’s increasing role as a one-stop connector between European cities and Central Asia, Iran, Pakistan, and the Gulf. Routes such as Frankfurt–Baku–Tashkent and London–Baku–New Delhi have gained share as direct alternatives become scarcer or more expensive.
International recognition
- Skytrax — Best Airport in Central Asia and the CIS (five consecutive years)
- ACA Level 3 (Airport Carbon Accreditation) — formal recognition of carbon footprint reduction
- ACI ASQ (Airport Service Quality) award
- APEX in Safety certification
The Skytrax win — its fifth consecutive year — places Heydar Aliyev firmly ahead of regional peers including Tashkent, Almaty, and Tbilisi for passenger experience and airport quality.
What it means for 2026
The 2025 figures suggest GYD is on track to clear 8 million passengers in 2026, particularly with new routes from Air Serbia (Belgrade) and Airblue (Lahore) launching in May 2026 — both adding capacity to existing under-served corridors. The airport’s regional leadership is increasingly secure, and its growing transit role positions it as a natural alternative to the more congested Gulf hubs for Europe–Central Asia traffic.
Sources
- Heydar Aliyev International Airport (airport.az) annual traffic releases
- Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) press releases
- Skytrax World Airport Awards
- Airports Council International ASQ programme
- Wikipedia: Heydar Aliyev International Airport
