Baku, November 11, AZERTAC 

Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) has started to operate a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner on Baku - New York - Baku route, the company said in a statement.

American diplomats led by the head of the Department of Economics at U.S. Embassy in Baku Carter Wilbur came to the Heydar Aliyev International Airport to see off the first flight.

Addressing the ceremony, Mr. Wilbur said that Boeing 787-8 is the most advanced and reliable aircraft in terms of security. He said that the launch of a direct flight between Baku and New York is a good opportunity to increase the number of American tourists coming to Azerbaijan. “Operation of modern aircrafts, such as the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner will positively affect the development of tourism in Azerbaijan,” the diplomat said.

An American journalist and professor at the University of Montana Thomas Goltz was among the first passengers of Baku - New York flight. "I arrived in Baku for the first time in 1991 through Istanbul. I often traveled to Baku and every time it was a problem to buy a ticket. Twenty five years have passed since then and now we see a tremendous difference - now we are offered direct flights on a modern aircraft. It's fantastic,” said Mr Goltz.

Citizens of Azerbaijan, the United States, Israel, Georgia, Iran and other countries were among the first passengers of Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner along with a group of local journalists.

Azerbaijani journalists representing various media outlets were housed in Park Lane Hotel, one of the oldest hotels in New York.

The Park Lane Hotel is a New York City luxury hotel located at 36 Central Park South, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues in Midtown Manhattan, overlooking Central Park. The Park Lane’s design bridges the gap between modernism and post modernism. Guestrooms and suites at the Park Lane capture unobstructed panoramic views of Central Park from sleek black windows that span the entire vertical height of the limestone forty-six story structure.

During a tour of New York City - the capital of the financial and cultural life of the United States, journalists visited the central part of Manhattan: Times Square, Broadway, 5th Avenue, Rockefeller Center, the legendary Empire State Building and the new skyscraper - One World Trade Center - Freedom Tower, built on the site of the World Trade Center, which was destroyed on September 11, 2001 and a memorial for the victims of 11 September. The Azerbaijani journalists also viewed the building of the New York Stock Exchange, Wall Street and Battery Park, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lincoln Center and the Metropolitan Opera.

Azerbaijan Airlines’ customers enjoy 3 service classes - 157 seats for Economy Class, 35 seats for Business Class and 18 seats for Luxe Class, according to AZAL.

Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner is a new aircraft combining the latest technical advances. The aircraft meets the highest safety standards and is advantageous for operation. The aircraft has already made a transatlantic flight test and received all the necessary permissions to operate.

In addition to improved aerodynamics, advanced engine technology, better fuel efficiency and lower overall operating costs, the 787 will feature a state-of-the-art onboard travel experience.

Baku - New York - Baku regular flights will be operated twice a week on Mondays and Saturdays. The 787-8 will be deployed between Heydar Aliyev International Airport and Kennedy Airport taking off from Baku at 6.00 a.m. and arriving in New York at 9:30 p.m. Return flights will be operated on the same days at 11:30.

Customers can start booking 787-8 flights at AZAL sales offices and through the website of the company (www.azal.az). As part of the flight, customers can take advantage of AZAL Miles bonus program (for more information visit http://www.azal.az/en/azal-miles).