By 2030, Azerbaijan Airlines will have expanded its fleet with further Airbus A320neos and Boeing 787s.
The national airline of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan Airlines, stated on Friday that it is expanding its fleet with new planes, including the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
The airline with its headquarters in Baku now runs both types, but its announcement on Friday suggests it would increase the number of each when it renews its fleet through 2030.
More capability to update the fleet
Aircraft numbers or delivery information were not provided by Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL). Even yet, a glance at its current fleet offers some insights into the goals of its renewal strategy. AZAL has a fleet of 34 aircraft in total, of which 25 are operating and nine are listed as dormant, according to ch-aviation.com.
These include a Boeing 767-300ER, four Airbus ACJ319, ACJ320, and ACJ340 aircraft serving for the VIP Fleet, and eight Embraer E190s operated by Buta Airways. Three Airbus A319s, six A320s, three A320neos, and two A340s make up the mainline fleet, which also includes inactive aircraft.
It consists of three Boeing 757s, two 767s, a 777, and two 787s. The fleet’s age ranges from the A320neos, which have an average age of less than one year, to the 757s, which have an average age of 24.7.
With an average age of 16.5 years for the six current A320s and 17.2 years for the A319s, it is clear that they should be replaced with brand-new A320neo aircraft. The airline will probably continue to purchase more widebody aircraft in order to assist its worldwide expansion once the two 787-8 Dreamliners were delivered in December 2014.
The Dreamliner order from Farnborough
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the purchase of four Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners was signed by AZAL during the 2022 Farnborough International Airshow. The Dreamliners were expected to arrive between 2025 and 2030, according to the announcement, which was made public on July 20th, 2022.
When the two 787-8s were delivered to AZAL in 2014, it became the first airline from the former Soviet Union to fly them. Jahangir Asgarov, president of AZAL, stated: “This MoU is the evidence of cooperative efforts to scale up the mutually advantageous collaboration between Azerbaijan Airlines and Boeing.
Our 787 aircraft have consistently delivered excellent performance, and the addition of more long-haul aircraft will allow Azerbaijan Airline to further diversify its route network.
enhancing the A320s
AZAL has not explained why it is adding more Airbus A320neos; thus, the age of the current A320ceos and the announcements of new routes this month may provide some hints. All six of the A320-200 aircraft were formerly used by Air Berlin, with the majority of them arriving in 2006 or 2007.
From the standpoints of the passenger experience, operating costs, and emissions reduction, AZAL will greatly gain from switching routes to A320neos because they are ready for replacement.
Two more twice-weekly routes to Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, and Samara in Russia were also announced by AZAL on Friday. Buta Airways, AZAL’s low-cost airline, will run the flights to Samara. The largest city in Kazakhstan, Almaty, and Baku will now be connected by air, according to AZAL’s earlier January announcement.
From March 17 through April 1, the twice-weekly service will run on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, will begin receiving twice-weekly flights from AZAL on March 16. On Mondays and Thursdays the flights will leave Baku and return on Tuesdays and Fridays.
