U.S. grant to help Azerbaijan aviation

U.S. grant to help Azerbaijan aviation    The U.S. Trade and Development Agency on Wednesday awarded a $310,200 grant to Azerbaijan’s State Civil Aviation Administration (SCAA) to improve aviation safety standards to meet the Central Asian country’s increased demand for air transportation services.
   The USTDA said the grant would provide technical assistance to the SCAA to help Azerbaijan meet International Civil Aviation Organization standards in areas of aviation safety and security oversight.
   “Today’s grant is a step forward in the effort to establish direct air travel routes between Azerbaijan and the United States,” said USTDA Acting Director Leocadia I. Zak, in a statement. “In addition, the grant will significantly increase the capacity for trade and tourism between our two countries.”
   The federal agency noted that Azerbaijan’s economy has grown at “double-digit rates” for the past nine years. National passenger carrier Azerbaijan Airlines and all-cargo operator Silk Way Airlines have responded to this growth by placing orders for long-haul Boeing planes, one of the main objectives being direct flights to and from the United States.
   The SCAA has picked The Wicks Group in Washington as the U.S. contractor that will conduct the USTDA-funded assistance. In addition to the USTDA grant, Azerbaijan Airlines and Silk Way Airlines will contribute additional funds to the completion of the technical assistance program, the USTDA said.