Azerbaijani airline to get new planes in May
By Nigar Orujova
Delivery of new Brazilian Embraer aircraft to Azerbaijan will start in May, spokesman for Azerbaijan's national airline company AZAL Maharram Safarli said.
AZAL has purchased six aircraft from Brazil's giant Embraer, including four new planes, in a deal that will allow it to expand flights in November. The total value of the deal is $180.8 million, at list price, which will be included in Embraer's fourth quarter of 2012 backlog, the company's website said.
Two of the Embraer aircraft will be Embraer-170 and four of them -- Embraer-190 planes.
"The EMBRAER 190 is the ideal aircraft for the speed and range we need to open new routes. It`s a really versatile airplane that will give us the ability to fly to both domestic and international markets where we see strong growth potential," said President and Chairman of the Board of AZAL Jahangir Askerov.
"And with the EMBRAER 170, we can better match seat capacity to variations in demand across the network. The commonality of the two airplanes is a tremendous benefit, too," Askerov added.
Embraer S.A. is a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate that produces commercial, military and executive aircraft and provides aeronautical services.
Safarli also said that two new Airbus A-340 and one Boeing-787 Dreamliner will be added to the AZAL air park in 2014.
One of the Airbus A-340 has already been brought to Baku and at present, the airport team is conducting trial flights. Thereupon, the airliner will be sent abroad for interior and coloration work and it will be added to the airpark in late April 2013. The second one will be brought to the country in fall.
Meanwhile, AZAL introduced E-Jets as part of a fleet renewal strategy that includes replacement of its turboprop fleet. The carrier will configure its E170s and E190s in single class with 76 and 106 Elite seats, respectively.
The aircraft will enable the airline to increase frequencies between Baku and Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and introduce new local and international services to cities such as Odessa, Volgograd, Sochi, Donestsk and others.
AZAL becomes the 25th E-Jet customer in Europe. AZAL also joins a growing list of customers in Eastern Europe and Central Asia that have identified E-Jets as their aircraft of choice: AeroSvit, Air Astana, Air Moldova, Belavia, Bulgaria Air, Dniproavia, Estonian Air, LOT Polish, and Montenegro Airlines.
AZAL, the biggest Azerbaijani airline and national flag carrier, offers passenger flights to countries in Europe, the CIS, Middle East and Asia. After purchasing new Boeing aircraft for long-haul flights in 2014, the airline plans to open regular flights to destinations in North America and South-East Asia.
The company is a regional and CIS leader for the number of new aircraft. Its fleet currently consists of modern aircraft meeting all safety requirements, including Boeing 757-200, Airbus А319, ATR 42, ATR 72, Airbus А320 and Boeing 767-300.
It cooperates with about 60 airlines to provide its passengers with the opportunity to travel freely around the world.
AZAL was certified by IATA Operational Safety Audit, a program that is an internationally recognized evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline.