Development since the 2000s
The first of the 757s was delivered in the fall of 2000. The planes offered the carrier unprecedented range, comfort, and efficiency on long-haul international routes. They also helped project a modern image to the world. The second Boeing 757 to be delivered arrived in December laden with medical supplies due to a recent earthquake in Azerbaijan. In January 2001, AZAL used one of the planes to begin operating a Paris-Baku route in collaboration with Air France.[11][12]
After the September 11 attacks, Azerbaijan, like other nations, experienced a noticeable decline in air travel.[13] AZAL was able to remain profitable through 2001, however, and even make progress toward paying off its debt. The airline was soon shopping for more new aircraft as it retired its aging Soviet models. AZAL ordered its first Western-made helicopters in October 2002, purchasing six for EUR 52 million from Eurocopter. AZAL used helicopters to ferry personnel and equipment out to oil rigs in the Caspian Sea.[14]
The state-owned company was privatized in the 2000s, during which ownership of the company's assets ended up in the hands of companies owned by family members of Azerbaijani political elites, including President Ilham Aliyev's daughter Arzu Aliyeva.[15][16]
In July 2004, two of AZAL's airliners were impounded by Turkey over a 12-year-old debt owed by Azerbaijan's Agriculture Ministry to a Turkish company. In the same month, AZAL ordered new Ukrainian-made, 52-passenger Antonov An-140 turboprops to replenish its regional fleet, paying about $36 million for four planes.[5]
In April 2006 all scheduled operations were transferred to the newly estabilished Azerbaijan Airlines CJSC while the "old" AZAL stopped all activities two years later.[17]
On 22 July 2010, Boeing and Azerbaijan Airlines signed an agreement to substitute two Next Generation 737 airplanes for one 767-300ER (extended range) and two 767 Freighters. Including this announcement, Azerbaijan Airlines had a total of eight Boeing airplanes on order: two 767-300ERs, two 767 Freighters, two Next Generation 737s and two 787-8s.[18] In September 2010, AZAL cancelled an order for the remaining two Next Generation 737s.[19]
Azerbaijan Airlines began direct flights between Baku and Beijing on May 10, 2013, launching direct flights to Beijing Capital International Airport and the first ever service to East Asia. The route was flown twice a week using Airbus A340 and Boeing 767 aircraft.[20] The new route provided direct flights between Azerbaijan and China, fostering closer business and tourism exchanges between the two countries. However, at some point in time, their flights were canceled due to increased control from Chinese authorities. The flights between the two countries later resumed. Following Samir Rzayev's meeting with Ding Tao, Chargé d'Affaires of China in Azerbaijan, where they discussed the development of air traffic between Azerbaijan and China and the growing demand, Rzayev and Tao agreed to increase the frequency of flights to Beijing from two times a week to three, and also explored opportunities of adding major cities of Shanghai and Guangzhou to the list of routes of Azerbaijan Airlines. As of April 2025, AZAL operates flights along the Baku-Beijing route three times a week, on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday.[21][22][23]
On 23 and 24 December 2014, Azerbaijan Airlines took delivery of the two Boeing 787 Dreamliners it had on order.[24] The airline also launched its Premium Economy product along with the introduction of the 787.[25] On 12 November 2017, Boeing agreed to sell five 787-8 aircraft to Azerbaijan Airlines, valued at about $1.9 billion at list prices.[26]
In December 2016, Azerbaijan Airlines announced the creation of a low-cost carrier, AZALJet, to expand its service offerings. However, after one year of operation, it was decided that AZALJet would be replaced by Buta Airways, a new airline that operated Embraer aircraft. Buta Airways featured its own livery, was staffed independently, and followed a separate tariff policy. On 16 January 2018, Buta Airways commenced its first European service with a weekly flight to Sofia. Azerbaijan Airlines and Buta Airways would win in the nomination of "Best Regional Airline in Central Asia and CIS" and "Best Low-Cost Airline in Central Asia and CIS" at the Skytrax 2022 World Airline Awards. On 28 July 2023, it was announced that Azerbaijan Airlines and Buta Airways would merge into a single brand, AZAL, with the consolidation set to take place in October of the same year. In 2022 it was announced retiring its Airbus A340-500 and replace with them with more newer and efficient Airbus A320neo jets 2 years later. This would mark the Airbus A340-500's last commercial flight.[12][27][28]
In June 2024, AZAL was awarded the title of "Best Regional Airline in Central Asia and the CIS" at the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2024 for the second consecutive time. A month later, AZAL started regular flights to Karabakh, marking the first instance of Azerbaijani commercial travel to the region since the end of hostilities. The airline began operating scheduled flights between Baku and Fuzuli city, providing direct access to Karabakh and connecting Heydar Aliyev International Airport to Fuzuli International Airport.[12][29]
Azerbaijan Airlines is set to launch direct flights between Heydar Aliyev International Airport, and Incheon International Airport which serves the Seoul Metropolitan Area in South Korea from May to July 2025, as reported by the State Tourism Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan. These flights will be operated once a week, on Fridays, and will continue until mid July 2025. The announcement was made during a tourism event in Seoul, organized by the Azerbaijan Tourism Board, aimed at promoting Azerbaijan’s tourism potential. The event was attended by representatives from South Korea’s tourism industry, media, influencers, and leading Azerbaijani tourism companies. During the event, Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to South Korea, Ramin Hasanov, emphasized that the introduction of direct flights would contribute to strengthening bilateral relations and boosting tourism exchanges between the two nations.[30][31][32][33]
