Rafael Schvartzman: Central Asia could become one of the key transit aviation hubs

The Central Asian region is demonstrating rapid growth and has significant potential to become a major transit aviation hub, Rafael Schvartzman, Regional Vice President for Europe of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), said during a press conference held within the framework of the 82nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) and the World Air Transport Summit (WATS) of IATA.

Report's correspondent in Rio-de-Janeiro quotes Schvartzman as saying the development of the region is driven not only by economic growth but also by the current geopolitical situation.

"Countries of Central Asia have the potential to become an important transit hub. An additional growth factor is the current geopolitical situation. Today we are observing the closure of several airspaces for flights between East and West, which is redirecting part of the traffic through this region and creating new opportunities for its development.

In particular, additional prospects are opening up for cargo transportation. Routes have become longer, and in some cases there is a need for intermediate landings. Various ways of realizing this potential are currently being actively discussed.

That is why we are seeing very high growth rates in both passenger and cargo transportation in the region. At the same time, the existing potential is still far from being fully utilized," noted Schvartzman.