We spoke about Azerbaijan Airlines not to long ago here on flightsmilesandpoints.com, it was just a few weeks ago when the carrier made news by placing an order with Airbus. In early April 2023 the Azeri flag carrier placed an order for mid-ranged Airbus A320neo and A321neo. This earlier order would renovate the airline’s short to medium range fleet. Now the focus has shifted towards Azerbaijan Airlines’ long haul fleet. Let’s find out what the news regarding the airline and its order placed with Boeing is all about.
Azerbaijan Airlines Places An Order For 8 More Boeing 787
The news is that the flag carrier of Azerbaijan has placed an order with Boeing for 8 more 787s. Specifically the variant chosen is the smallest of the Dreamliner lineup, the 787-8. An extremely versatile aircraft capable of serving efficiently both medium and long range destinations. A plane that allows Azerbaijan airlines to connect effectively Europe and central Asia to the far east.
The airline already operated 2 of the type (registration VP-BBS and VP-BBR) and with this new order it’ll bring its Boeing 787 fleet into the double digits. Possibly the arrival of these new jetliners might also coincide with the carrier further expanding its network in an effort to build up a stronger presence in central Asia and in the rich and nearby European market.
The Cabin Layout for the New Boeing 787-8
As the airline already operates 2 planes of the type, it’s likely that the cabin layout to be used in these new arrivals will reflect the one already present in the fleet. Therefore the most likely cabin layout features:
- 18 Business Class Flat Bed Seats
- 35 Premium Economy Seats
- 159 Economy Class Seats
A seat layout that adapts very well to both long haul and short haul operations.
Is It a Goodbye to The Older Long Range Azerbaijan Airlines Fleet?
It’s very likely that the arrival of these brand new Boeing 787-8 will gradually push out of the fleet some of the older ageing long range planes. At the moment along with the Boeing 787s Azerbaijan Airlines operates its long range flights with:
- 1 Boeing 757-200
- 2 Boeing 767-300
- 1 Boeing 777-200
- 1 Airbus A340-600
The Azeri flag carrier, as a matter of fact, is one of the very few remaining airlines left operating the A340-600. The airbus quad-jet has become more and more unpopular as it is quite the fuel hungry beast. A characteristic airlines frown upon nowadays in world where fuel efficiency and emissions have become the main focus. Unfortunately, for aviation lovers, the most likely plane to leave first is exactly the A340-600.
