ECONOMY
AZAL continues to enlarge its air park
Baku, March 7 (AZERTAC). According to an agreement signed between AZAL and Embraer company on November 24, 2012, Brazil`s deliveries of new Embraer aircrafts to Azerbaijan will start in May, 2013, said AZAL spokesperson Maharram Safarli,
In general, 2 from 6 Embraer aircrafts will be Embraer-170 and 4 – Embraer-190.
AZAL official also noted that 2 new Airbus A-340, and one Boeing-787 Dreamliner will be added to the air park in 2014: “One of Airbus A-340 has already been brought to Baku and at present time, the team is conducting trial flight. Thereupon, the airliner will be sent to abroad for interior and coloration works and it will be added to the air park in late April of 2013. The second one will be brought to the country in autumn”.
AZAL is introducing 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 and to introduce new local and international services to cities such as Odessa, Volgograd, Sochi, Donestsk and others.
“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 Jahangir Askerov, President and Chairman of the Board of Azerbaijan Airlines CJSC. “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.”
Azerbaijan Airlines 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.