Air, rail, road and sea: These key transport modes will be bundled south of the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, come 2026. The go-ahead for the mega project located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia was given last week at the Air Cargo Europe trade fair. For the realization of the masterplan, two strategic brands were kicked off at the event. These are SW AFEZCO (Silk Way Alat Free Economic Zone Company) and Alat Logistics Center. Both are partnering to implement the infrastructural mega-project, the country’s largest after industrial oil drilling activities in the Caspian Sea. Through the project, Azerbaijan expects to become a member of the top global league in logistics and cargo services. Responsible for the physical implementation of the facilities, is the Modern Construction Group, which signed a contract with SW AFEZCO in NOV24. Three key facilities that are part of the future Silk Way Cargo Village stand out: a large cargo terminal, Silk Way Group’s office building, and a shared freight forwarder facility. Modern Construction Group assures that the physical realization will align with the latest international standards for green and sustainable infrastructure.
“The launch of SW AFEZCO and Alat Logistics Center marks a significant step forward in our ambition to turn Alat into a vital node in global trade,” stated Zaur Akhundov, President of Silk Way Group. The executive went on to say: “We are building more than infrastructure – we are creating a future-ready, sustainable logistics hub that reflects Azerbaijan’s strategic location and economic vision. Our goal is to provide global partners with world-class logistics services and a gateway to emerging markets.”
The Alat Logistics Center is the core logistics integrator within the Silk Way Cargo Village. It is designed to facilitate seamless cargo movement across Eurasia. Therefore, it will offer the cargo industry ground handling services and warehouse utilization, freight consolidation, rapid transfers of shipments from aircraft to aircraft, customs clearance, and e-commerce fulfillment operations. Its aim is to maximize efficiency in cargo flows, reduce transit times, and enhance the competitiveness of trade routes along the Middle Corridor stretching from China to western Europe.
At the Munich event, leading representatives of SW AFEZCO and Alat Logistics stressed that the project is scheduled for completion by JUL26.
