IATA ready to assist with capacity development plan for Heydar Aliyev Airport

Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) is currently developing its own business plan, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Regional Vice President for Europe Rafael Schwartzman said in an interview with Report.

"IATA has already supported Azerbaijan in traffic forecasting for AZANS and network and fleet planning for AZAL. AZAL is currently developing its business plan, and we hope it incorporates global best practices and expert guidance to adopt these advanced tools effectively," he said.

"The master plan should follow IATA's Airport Development Reference Manual (ADRM), Edition 12, which sets out globally recognized best practices for airport planning and design. A critical priority is addressing the terminal building as the main capacity bottleneck. Future expansions should focus on functionality and operational efficiency, ensuring smooth passenger flows and scalability - rather than prioritizing aesthetics over usability. This approach is essential because design choices directly influence airport charges, which affect competitiveness," he added.

"According to AZAL's own studies, terminal constraints are expected once annual traffic reaches 7 million passengers - a threshold already surpassed in 2024, with 2025 traffic projected to exceed this level. This confirms that the terminal building is the primary capacity bottleneck.

To address these challenges, IATA recommends several actions aligned with global best practices. First, apply IATA's Airport Development Reference Manual (ADRM, Edition 12) as a planning framework to ensure cost-efficient, modular solutions and avoid overbuilding. Second, enhance current terminal capacity by reviewing passenger processing flows, optimizing layouts, and introducing process improvements before committing to major investments. Third, conduct a level of service assessment to identify detailed bottlenecks and ensure service quality is maintained. This is critical to preserving the passenger experience and sustaining the airport's reputation. Finally, plan modular expansions aligned with traffic forecasts to minimize financial risk and avoid excessive airport charges, which could harm competitiveness.

These steps will help ensure that Heydar Aliyev International Airport continues to deliver a high-quality passenger experience while preparing for sustainable growth. IATA would welcome the opportunity to collaborate with AZAL and stakeholders in conducting these assessments and supporting the development of a cost-efficient, future-ready capacity plan," he said.

Full interview is available here