We’ve often seen in recent news the carrier we’re talking about today. However I think this is the first time I talk about a new route being launched by them. Today I’m talking about Azerbaijan Airlines and more specifically about their new Baku Vienna flight. Let’s take a closer look at how it’ll operate and the aircraft choice for the service.
Expanding Into Europe
Azerbaijan Airlines (IATA code J2) has started operation with its latest network expansion into Europe. The Caspian airline has in fact added to its regularly served airports Vienna (VIE). The Austrian capital comes in addition to pre-existing flights to:
- Barcelona (BCN)
- Milan (MXP)
- Tivat (TIV)
- Prague (PRG)
- Nuremberg (NUE)
- Berlin (BER)
- Paris (CDG)
- London Heathrow (LHR)
The airline at the moment is a viable option, aside from travel from and to Azerbaijan, to central Asian destinations that are under served from the larger European hubs. However there are no onwards flights to the far east and I don’t see them as an alternative to fly to the middle east.
About Azerbaijan Airlines J271 Baku Vienna Flight
Flight J271 started operations on the May 2nd with the first AZAL aircraft flying the Baku Vienna route. The flight will have a twice per week frequency, with services available every:
- Tuesday
- Friday
Looking at the service’s operations, this is how the J271 will operate:
- Flight J271 will take off from Baku (GYD) at 09:00 landing into Vienna (VIE) at 11:00. Estimated flight time 4 hours.
- Return flight J272 will take off from Vienna (VIE) at 12:05 with arrival into Baku (GYD) at 17:40. Estimated flight time 3 hours 35 minutes.
The Aircraft Chosen for Azerbaijan Airlines Flight J271
Azerbaijan Airlines flight J271 will be operated using one of 3 A319-100 the airline has in a commercial configuration. AZAL has a fourth Airbus A319, however it is in a business jet configuration (CJ) with only 19 seats.
The 3 Azerbaijan airlines A319-100 available for the route are:
- 4K-AZ03 delivered in September 2005
- 4K-AZ04 delivered in October 2005
- 4K-AZ05 delivered in June 2006
So they are not the newest and most cutting edge planes present in the airline’s fleet. These 3 planes are all configured with a 2 class layout featuring:
- 8 Business Class seats (2-2 layout)
- 108 Economy Class seats (3-3 layout)
A Rapidly Changing Fleet
Although the planes deployed on the Baku Vienna route are not the most modern you’ll find in the skies, the fleet modernisation process is underway at Azerbaijan Airlines.
The Azeri airline has on order 12 Airbus A320neo and A321neo which will replace and expand the ageing fleet of A319-100s and A320-200 currently used. Also on order are Boeing 787s to further rejuvenate the long range fleet.
