The Belarusian government wants to make Minsk airport attractive for stopovers and thus flights based on the fifth freedom. Negotiations are in progress with Azal Azerbaijan Airlines, among others.
The Deputy Minister of Transport, Alexey Lyakhnovich, confirmed relevant negotiations. The aim is to have a stopover in Minsk on the way from Baku to New York. This is how Belarus would fly to the United States. The government member told regional media that the talks are well advanced and "have a real chance of becoming a reality".
The minister also emphasized that there are negotiations with airlines from Qatar and Uzbekistan about flights under the Fifth Freedom. It is intended to use this to get to other long-haul destinations, because the state provider Belavia does not operate long-haul flights. The only Boeing 767-300 is used solely for government travel, according to CH-Aviation.com.
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