In recent months, one of the most frequent complaints in Azerbaijan has been about the cost of airline tickets. People are left with no choice but to take to the skies, as land borders remain closed. In such a situation, the pricing policies of airlines have become a source of widespread public frustration.

The problem is stark: for a citizen planning a family trip, ticket prices often exceed a monthly salary. Many are asking: “How are we supposed to travel? Who will bridge the distance between us and our loved ones abroad?” The high cost of flights, coupled with the closure of land routes, effectively restricts people’s freedom of movement.

The issue also carries serious economic implications. For students studying abroad, patients seeking medical treatment, or entrepreneurs traveling for business, the situation has become an additional burden. As a result, many are forced to postpone their plans, while others must go into debt just to make the journey.

Of course, it is understandable that the state maintains border controls for security and geopolitical reasons. But the question remains: the pandemic ended years ago, global mobility has resumed, so why is free travel across land borders still unavailable to us?

If no alternative route is offered to citizens, then the only available option—air travel—must be made more accessible. The artificially high cost of flights cannot be explained by market forces alone. Both stronger regulatory steps from the state and greater social responsibility from airlines are needed.

After all, borders are meant to connect people, not divide them. Otherwise, airplanes soaring through the skies will remain the privilege of the few, while the rest watch longingly from the ground.

Leyla Mirza, Bizimyol.info