In this short essay, we will talk about the air carrier Azerbaijan Airlines. This company is commonly referred to by the abbreviation AZAL. Where do the liners of Azerbaijan Airlines go? What kind of aircraft fleet does this company have? And what do travelers themselves say about its services? Sometimes it is compared even with such a well-known leader in air transportation as Emirates. Let's find out why such a reputation is deserved.
Quick info
This company is a subsidiary of the national concern "Azerbaijan Hava Yollary", the largest air carrier in the country. This company is a member of the International Air Passenger Association. The main office of Azerbaijan Airlines is located in Baku.
The company has two base airports: the capital air station named after Heydar Aliyev (located twenty kilometers northeast of the city) and the airport in Ganja. The carrier sends its aircraft both to the republics of the former CIS and to the countries of the Middle East, Asia, and Europe.
The company plans to launch flights to the NorthernAmerica. For this, new generation liners capable of making transatlantic flights were purchased. The founding date of Azerbaijan Airlines is August 7, 1992. By the way, this was the first air carrier after gaining independence by the Transcaucasian state.
Azerbaijan Airlines fleet
Air communication in Azerbaijan was at a fairly high level back in Soviet times. For example, turbine aircraft of the IL-18 type began to be used there as early as 1959. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan inherited a good fleet. There were twenty Tu aircraft alone.
In addition to these liners from Aeroflot, the air fleet inherited 50 helicopters and 90 light aircraft. But from the very first years of its existence, Azerbaijan Airlines announced its intention to completely upgrade existing liners with newer and more comfortable ones.
In 2000, the company purchased its first Boeing (it was the 757th model). Since 2005, the company began to purchase Airbuses. In 2007, the company made a huge order for the supply of Boeing 787s. These large, reliable and very passenger-friendly liners have been in operation since 2014.
Already in 2010, not a single Soviet-type aircraft remained in the fleet of AZAL. All of them have been replaced by the latest Airbuses and Boeings. By the way, the fleet of Azerbaijan Airlines also has at its disposal Embraer ERJ-170 and 190. The average operational age of the aircraft of this company is nine years.
Where does Azerbaijan Airlines fly?
The company's liners offer flights to 20 countries. In Moscow, the office of the company is located at: Kutuzovsky Prospekt, 24 (Kutuzoff Tower). In the Russian capital, planes from Baku land at all three airports. The company also carries out transportation within the country, in particular to Nakhichevan. Unfortunately, the number of such flights is reduced due to their unprofitability.
If we talk about the republics of the former CIS, then Azerbaijan Airlines sends its liners to Aktau, Kyiv, Novosibirsk, Tbilisi, Tashkent, Yekaterinburg and Mineralnye Vody. The map of communications between Baku and far abroad is much wider. Thus, the company's liners fly to Dubai and Sharjah, Doha, Ankara and Istanbul, Tehran, Kabul, Tel Aviv, Urumqi, Rome, Milan, Paris, London.
Facilities and Services
What do passengers say about traveling on board Azerbaijan Airlines? The reviews are positive, because the company's customers praise the novelty and convenience of the machines that carry out the flight. Everything is clean, everything works. The chairs are wide, as is the aisle between the rows, which is very convenient.
Oversized passengers stated that only during flights with Azerbaijan Airlines did they have no problem with where to put their knees and how to squeeze into a chair. The reclined back did not bother anyone.
Stewardesses on board speak Russian, they are very nice and friendly. They are fed in liners at no extra charge, and the food is delicious, albeit without frills. On long-distance flights, the passenger will notmiss. There is also a music player and the ability to watch movies. If someone is chilly, the flight attendants will offer a soft warm blanket. Flights of the company are not delayed without good reason. You can check in for your flight online. They allow you to take eight kilograms of hand luggage on board.
Ticket prices
Azerbaijan Airlines is famous for its flexible pricing policy. Of course, you can buy a more expensive ticket. But if you plan your trip in advance, you can save a lot of money. For frequent travelers, the company offers "free miles" and other benefits.
There are directions in which this carrier can even be called a low-cost carrier. For example, a ticket to Istanbul and back sometimes costs 4,000 rubles. True, the conditions there are more spartan (the cost includes only hand luggage). But in general, travelers are extremely satisfied with the flight.
The pilots and the whole crew are very professional, the cars are brand new, as they say, “from the needle”, the service at the airports is also not satisfactory. Many tourists said they would now travel for leisure or business only with Azerbaijan Airlines.
