Azerbaijan Airlines signs neo lease agreement with AerCap
October 5, 2024
On 2 October 2024 Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), the national airline of Azerbaijan, signed an agreement with AerCap, the world’s largest aviation leasing company. Under the terms of the agreement AZAL will acquire three new Airbus A320neo and three A321neo aircraft for delivery in 2026. The A321neo aircraft will be used mainly on routes to Turkey, the Middle East and India, while the A320neo will be used on European and Asian routes, adding modern, comfortable and environmentally friendly aircraft to these routes.
The lease of the new aircraft will mark an important strategic step in AZAL’s long-term modernization and growth strategy, and they promise to enhance the carrier’s competitiveness. Their more efficient engines and improved aerodynamic designs promise to significantly reduce fuel consumption and emissions, helping AZAL make a contribution to reducing aviation’s ecological footprint, and to present itself as a modern, forward-looking airline.
Azerbaijan Airlines president Samir Rzayev said that: “The signing of these six leases significantly expands our fleet replacement, in particular with the popular A321neo. These aircraft are intended to meet the evolving needs of our passengers, providing them with maximum comfort and convenience, while also contributing to the expansion of our airline’s route network. We aim to create better travel opportunities and meet customer expectations by opening new destinations and improving service quality.”
Azerbaijan Airlines currently has four A319s, ten A320s, three A320neo, two A340-500s (both stored), and one A340-600 in its fleet and has also ordered twelve A320neos directly from Airbus in April 2023.
The Airbus airliners are augmented by one Boeing B757-200 (another is stored), three B767-300ERs, one B777-200LR, two Boeing 787-8s (with eight 787-9s on order), and nine Embraer ERJ190s (two of them stored), as well as a pair of Gulfstream G650 business jets. The A340-600, one A319, one A320, one Boeing 767 and the Boeing 777 are operated on behalf of the government.
