ALMATY – Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are working to resume passenger ferry services across the Caspian Sea, reopening a route that connected the two countries until 2020 and could provide an additional boost to tourism and regional connectivity.
Photo credit: exclusive.kz Click to see the map in full size. The map is designed by The Astana Times.
Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Alim Bayel said the Kazakh side had proposed restoring passenger services on the Kuryk–Baku–Kuryk ferry route, which was suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Bayel, around 1,500 passengers used the ferry service annually before its suspension. He expressed confidence that demand could be higher when the route resumes, as travel and tourism links between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have expanded in recent years. The resumption of the ferry line, he said, will give impetus to the development of passenger traffic between the two countries, strengthen tourism exchange and expand the opportunities of the Middle Corridor.
The Azerbaijani side has supported Kazakhstan’s proposal, and the transport authorities of both countries have begun working on the necessary steps to restore passenger services as soon as possible.
A specific launch date has not yet been announced.
Ferry link to complement growing air connectivity
The proposed ferry service would add a maritime connection to an already expanding network of links between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. Currently, 37 flights connect Baku with Astana, Almaty, Shymkent, Aktau and Atyrau, providing the main passenger connection between the two countries.
Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Alim Bayel. Photo credit: gov.kz.
The revival of the Kuryk–Baku route would offer a different mode of travel across the Caspian, potentially creating additional opportunities for tourists and travelers interested in combining land and maritime journeys.
The route also has a broader regional significance because Kuryk is one of Kazakhstan’s key ports on the Caspian Sea and forms part of the country’s transport infrastructure supporting the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, commonly known as the Middle Corridor.
The Middle Corridor connects China and Central Asia with the South Caucasus and Europe through the Caspian Sea. While its primary role is the movement of cargo, stronger passenger connectivity can contribute to wider economic and tourism ties along the same geographic corridor.
A route returning to a changing Caspian
The planned revival comes as Kazakhstan and other Caspian countries are paying increasing attention to changes in the sea’s water level. A newly emerged island was recently reported in the Caspian Sea amid a continued decline in water levels. The development has renewed attention to the environmental and economic consequences of the Caspian’s shallowing, including potential implications for maritime transport and coastal infrastructure.
The passenger ferry proposal therefore comes at a time when the Caspian is gaining importance as a regional transport link, while its changing physical conditions are creating new challenges for maritime activity.
