Traveling across the Caspian Sea between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan may become more convenient. Kazakhstan has proposed resuming passenger ferry service on the Kuryk-Baku-Kuryk route. Kursiv LifeStyle looks at what is known about the possible return of the service.
Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Alim Bayel said the Azerbaijani side supported the proposal. The two countries’ transport authorities are discussing its implementation.
The Kuryk-Baku-Kuryk passenger service operated until 2020, when it was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Before the pandemic, around 1,500 passengers used the route annually. Kazakhstan now expects interest in ferry travel to grow.
Meanwhile, it is still possible to cross the Caspian Sea by ferry. Passenger and cargo vessels continue to operate on the Kuryk-Alat route, carrying cars, trucks and passengers.
The two countries are also connected by air. There are flights from Baku to Astana, Almaty, Shymkent, Aktau and Atyrau.
Previously, Kursiv LifeStyle reported that Kazakh traveler Sayakhatshi Kuat crossed the Caspian Sea from Azerbaijan’s port of Alat to Kazakhstan’s Kuryk on a cargo ferry and shared a detailed review of the trip on his YouTube channel.
