In an unusual financial arrangement between two nations with a complex history, Azerbaijan has paid €90,000 to Armenia to ensure its flights to and from Nakhchivan, an Azerbaijani exclave, can continue without interruption. This move highlights a functional aspect of Azerbaijani-Armenian relations, despite ongoing political tensions.
Azerbaijani Airlines remitted the amount to Armenia for using its airspace for flights to and from Nakhchivan in 2023. The use of Armenian airspace is crucial for Azerbaijan to maintain air connectivity with Nakhchivan, which is geographically separated from the main territory of Azerbaijan by Armenia. This monetary exchange underlines an aspect of cooperation, even amid a tense geopolitical scenario marked by the conflict over the Nagorno Karabakh region.
Azerbaijani airlines commenced using Armenian airspace for flights to Nakhchivan on October 6, 2021. In 2022, Azerbaijan paid about €112,000 to Armenia for flights on the same route. The Baku-Nakhchivan-Baku route was re-established over Armenia in October 2021, after tensions between Azerbaijan and Iran. Notably, neither Azerbaijan nor Armenia had ever closed their airspace for civil aviation, except during the 44-day War.
The payment for airspace usage represents a single facet of the intricate interplay between aviation, geopolitics, and international conflicts. While Azerbaijan is embroiled in a dispute with Armenia over the Nagorno Karabakh region, the airspace payment indicates a certain level of operational cooperation between the two nations. Such instances illuminate the complex dynamics of international relations, where practical necessities can coexist with political disagreements.
