Azerbaijan Airlines facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Azerbaijan Airlines

Founded	7 April 1992; 33 years ago (1992-04-07)
Hubs	Heydar Aliyev International Airport
Focus cities	Ganja Nakhchivan Qabala
Frequent-flyer program	AZAL Miles
Subsidiaries	Azal Avia Cargo Buta Airways
Fleet size	32
Destinations	55
Parent company	Government of Azerbaijan
Headquarters	Baku, Azerbaijan
Employees	7,000

Azerbaijan Airlines (Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan Hava Yolları), also known as AZAL, is the main airline of Azerbaijan. It is the largest airline in the country. AZAL is based in Baku, right next to Heydar Aliyev International Airport.

The airline flies to many places. These include countries in Asia, Europe, the USA, and the CIS. Azerbaijan Airlines is also a member of the International Air Transport Association, a big group for airlines worldwide.

AZAL was started on April 7, 1992. It was the first national airline created after Azerbaijan became an independent country. The company was owned by the state at first. Later, it became a private business.

History of Azerbaijan Airlines

The first group of airplanes in Azerbaijan was formed on June 2, 1938. This day is now celebrated as Azerbaijan Civil Aviation Day. This special day was chosen by the President of Azerbaijan in 2006. During World War II (1941-1945), Azerbaijan's aviation helped a lot with the war effort.

In 1990, Azerbaijan decided to create its own airline. This airline would be separate from Aeroflot. Aeroflot was the main airline for all Soviet countries for a long time. Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) officially started on August 17, 1992. Vagif Sadykhly was its first president.

AZAL grew out of the local part of Aeroflot. Soon, it began flying to places outside the Soviet Union. Aeroflot used to be the only airline that flew to these places. In January 1991, AZAL started a regular flight from Baku to Istanbul with Turkish Airlines. They also created a cargo company called Aviasharg with the United Arab Emirates.

AZAL got many planes from Aeroflot. These included over 20 Soviet-made Tupolev planes. It also had regional planes, cargo planes, light aircraft, and helicopters. But AZAL quickly rented two Boeing 727s. These planes used to belong to Pan Am and were built in 1968. AZAL worked closely with Aviation Leasing Group (ALG). This US company rented out Boeing 727s. They even had a joint project to fly cargo across the Atlantic Ocean. ALG also trained AZAL pilots to meet Western standards in Dallas, Texas.

In November 1994, AZAL started flying to Dubai. Dubai and Istanbul were important places to get Western goods. Soon, AZAL also flew to Tehran, Tel Aviv, Saint Petersburg, London, and China. Some flights to nearby places were stopped in 1998. This was because they did not make much money. Also, three Yak-40 planes needed repairs. In January 1999, flights to most nearby CIS countries were stopped. This was due to debt. These routes were often not profitable. They also faced new competition from trains. In 1998, only about 16 percent of AZAL's flights were within Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan had a border problem with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh. This delayed getting money for two new Boeing 757 planes. The US Ex-Im Bank provided a loan guarantee of $66 million. This was the first time the Ex-Im Bank helped Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijan government and the International Bank of Azerbaijan also guaranteed the loan. The United Kingdom's Export Credits Guarantee Department helped with money for the Rolls-Royce engines. Both Boeing 757s used these engines.

The first Boeing 757 arrived in late 2000. These planes allowed AZAL to fly longer distances. They also offered more comfort and were more efficient. They helped show a modern image of the airline to the world. The second Boeing 757 arrived in December. It carried medical supplies because of a recent earthquake in Azerbaijan. In January 2001, AZAL started a flight from Paris to Baku. They worked with Air France on this route.

Azerbaijan is mostly a Muslim country. Air travel decreased after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States. But AZAL still made a profit in 2001. They even started paying off their debt. The airline soon looked for more new planes. They were replacing their older Soviet models. In October 2002, AZAL ordered its first Western-made helicopters. They bought six helicopters from Eurocopter for EUR 52 million. AZAL used helicopters to take workers and equipment to oil rigs in the Caspian Sea.

In July 2004, two of AZAL's planes were held in Turkey. This was because of an old debt owed by Azerbaijan's Agriculture Ministry. In the same month, AZAL ordered new Ukrainian-made Antonov An-140 planes. These planes carry 52 passengers. They cost about $36 million for four planes. These were to update their regional fleet.

On July 22, 2010, Boeing and Azerbaijan Airlines made a deal. They changed an order for two Next-Generation 737 planes. Instead, they would get one 767-300ER (extended range) and two 767 cargo planes. With this, Azerbaijan Airlines had eight Boeing planes on order. These included two 767-300ERs, two 767 cargo planes, two Next-Generation 737s, and two 787-8s. In September 2010, AZAL canceled the order for the last two Next-Generation 737s.

On December 23 and 24, 2014, Azerbaijan Airlines received its two Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The airline also started offering a Premium economy class with the new 787s.

On November 12, 2017, Boeing agreed to sell five more 787-8 planes to Azerbaijan Airlines. These planes were valued at about $1.9 billion.

Where Azerbaijan Airlines Flies

Sharing Flights with Other Airlines

Azerbaijan Airlines has codeshare agreements with other airlines. This means they sell tickets on each other's flights. This helps passengers have more choices for their travel.

Azerbaijan Airlines Fleet

Azerbaijan Airlines Airbus A320-200

Azerbaijan Airlines is the world's last airline operating the Airbus A340-500. One is pictured here during landing.

Azerbaijan Airlines Boeing 787-8

A "fleet" is the group of airplanes an airline owns and uses.

Current Fleet

As of March 2024^[update], Azerbaijan Airlines has these aircraft in its fleet:

Planes Used in the Past

An Azerbaijan Airlines Boeing 707-300 in 1995

An Azerbaijan Airlines Tupolev 154M in 2000

Azerbaijan Airlines has used many different types of planes over the years. The Tupolev Tu-154 was one of its most common planes. It was retired in 2013. Here is a list of planes AZAL used to fly:

Important Events and Safety

Aviation safety is very important. Airlines work hard to prevent problems. Here are some past events involving Azerbaijan Airlines:

• On November 30, 1995, a Boeing 707 plane (4K-401) was flying from Urumqi. It had a problem with its left landing gear. The plane tried to land in Baku. But it hit lights on a road bridge and crashed into a field. Two crew members died, and four other people were hurt.
• On December 5, 1995, Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 56 was flying from Baku to Nakhchivan and back. On the return flight, one engine stopped working shortly after takeoff. The pilots tried to manage the situation. However, the other engine also stopped. The plane crashed into a field near Nakhchivan. Two crew members and 50 passengers died. 30 people were injured. The investigation found that the first engine had a problem that was not fixed. The crew also accidentally shut down the working engine.
• On May 15, 1997, a Yakovlev 40 plane (4K-87504) was returning from a training flight. It was flying near Ganja. Some stray bullets from a nearby shooting range hit the plane. An oxygen tank caught fire, and the plane lost control. It crashed near Ganja Airport. All 6 crew members died.
• On August 18, 2000, a passenger tried to take over Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 154. This was a Tupolev Tu-154 flying from Nakhchivan to Baku. The person claimed to have a grenade and flammable liquid. He wanted the plane to fly to Istanbul. The pilots agreed to refuel in Tbilisi, Georgia. However, security officials on the plane stopped the person. The plane landed safely in Baku, and the person was arrested. He did not have a grenade.
• On December 23, 2005, Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 217, an Antonov An-140 (4K-AZ48), crashed into the Caspian Sea. It was flying to Aktau. All 18 passengers and five crew members died. The airline stopped using its other An-140 planes. Investigators found that some important navigation tools were not working correctly.
• On August 12, 2010, Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 75, an Airbus A319 (4K-AZ04), had a problem with its landing gear. This happened after it landed at Atatürk International Airport in Istanbul. The plane was badly damaged. But all 127 passengers and crew were safe.

See also

In Spanish: Azerbaijan Airlines para niños

• Civil Aviation Museum of Azerbaijan
• List of airlines of Azerbaijan
• List of airports in Azerbaijan
• List of companies of Azerbaijan
• Transport in Azerbaijan