Baku Airport began operations in 1933, when the first flight to Moscow over the Caucasus Mountains took place. The Baku–Moscow route was established in 1937, offering daily service for 15 passengers. A year later, in 1938, flights to Rostov and Grozny were also introduced. After World War II, service to Ashgabat became available to the public. In 1955, the airport expanded its fleet with the addition of a multi-seat Ilyushin Il-14 aircraft. On 20 June 1959, the Ilyushin Il-18 made its first flight on the Baku–Moscow route. On 9 February 1964, a new passenger terminal complex was opened and put into operation at Baku Airport. On 31 August 1990, Baku Airport gained international status and opened up for flights outside of the Soviet Union, which dissolved a year later in 1991. In October 1997, the presentation of a new passenger terminal was held, which was attended by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev. The newly opened terminal was soon known as Terminal 2. A year later, in 1998, a new runway was opened. The new passenger terminal complex was put into operation in 1999. Its ceremony was attended by Heydar Aliyev, and President of Turkey Suleyman Demirel. The same year, a new air traffic control (ATC) center of Baku Airport was put into operation, and the new Aviation Petrol Complex (TC1) commenced its operations as well. On 10 March 2004, by decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the airport was renamed after Heydar Aliyev, the long-standing Soviet party boss in the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic and later president of Azerbaijan. On 7 May 2004, a new passenger terminal for domestic flights at Heydar Aliyev International Airport was put into operation. Currently, it serves as a major hub for domestic flights within the country, flying to cities such as Ganja and Nakhchivan. In March 2005, Baku Cargo Terminal (BCT) was opened. The opening ceremony was attended by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the groundbreaking ceremony of a new terminal building at the airport on 17 March 2011, and reviewed the progress of construction that December. On 20 April 2012, a new runway at the airport was opened. The opening ceremony was attended by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, who was briefed on the reconstruction and construction works at the existing air terminal complex. A new hangar complex of Silk Way Technics and the International Logistics Centre opened on 6 May 2013. Ilham Aliyev observed and reviewed two new Airbus A340-500 passenger liners. That October, a new building of the main air traffic control center of the AZANS Air Traffic Department under the Azerbaijan Airlines closed joint-stock company was held. The opening of Terminal 1 of the Heydar Aliyev International Airport was held on 23 April 2014. The President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and members of his family attended this ceremony. The first flight from Terminal 1 took place the same day, with the plane departing for Sabiha Gökçen International Airport in Istanbul. The airport gained a direct link to North America when Azerbaijan Airlines began flying to New York City in September 2014. The opening ceremony of the Azerbaijan Efficiency, Strategy, and Development Center (ASEC) took place at Heydar Aliyev International Airport on 8 November 2018.