Azerbaijan Airlines Buys Six E-Jets
São José dos Campos, Brazil, November 14, 2012 – Embraer has signed a firm order of four EMBRAER 190s jets with Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), the national carrier of Azerbaijan. Deliveries are planned to start in the third quarter of 2013. The total value of the deal is USD 180.8 million, at list price, which will be included in Embraer’s fourth quarter of 2012 backlog.
AZAL has also purchased from Embraer, through its wholly-owned subsidiary ECC leasing, two pre-owned EMBRAER 170s, the first of which will be delivered in the second quarter of 2013. By the end of next year, six E-Jets will be flying in AZAL’s domestic and international networks from Heydar Aliyev International Airport (GYD), the carrier’s main base at Baku, Azerbaijan capital.
“The Azerbaijan Airlines order increase Embraer presence in Eastern Europe, a region where we see a strong potential for the E-Jets to help airlines efficiently renew their fleets and open new routes,” said Paulo Cesar Silva, Embraer President & CEO, Commercial Aviation. “Azerbaijan geographical strategic position offers excellent potential for developing air links with Europe/CIS, the Middle East and Asia. With both the E170 and E190, AZAL will have the flexibility to grow with an ideal combination of frequency and seat capacity that only the E-Jets family can offer.”
AZAL is introducing E-Jets as part of a fleet renewal strategy that includes replacement of its turboprop fleet. The carrier will configure its E170s and E190s in single class with 76 and 106 Elite seats, respectively. The aircraft will enable the airline to increase frequencies between Baku and Nakhchievan and to introduce new local and international services to cities such as Odessa, Volgograd, Sochi, Donestsk and others.
“The EMBRAER 190 is the ideal aircraft for the speed and range we need to open new routes. It's a really versatile airplane that will give us the ability to fly to both domestic and international markets where we see strong growth potential,” said Jahangir Askerov, President and Chairman of the Board of Azerbaijan Airlines CJSC. “And with the EMBRAER 170, we can better match seat capacity to variations in demand across the network. The commonality of the two airplanes is a tremendous benefit, too.”
Azerbaijan Airlines becomes the 25th E-Jet customer in Europe. AZAL also joins a growing list of customers in Eastern Europe and Central Asia that have identified E-Jets as their aircraft of choice: AeroSvit, Air Astana, Air Moldova, Belavia, Bulgaria Air, Dniproavia, Estonian Air, LOT Polish, and Montenegro Airlines.
About Azerbaijan Airlines
Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL, Az?rbaycan Hava Yollari in Azeri) is part of the Azerbaijan Hava Yollari Closed Joint Stock Company, the largest airline of the Caucasus region and the country’s national flag carrier. Headquartered in Baku, it is a member of International Air Transport Association (IATA). Azerbaijan Hava Yollari operates passenger flights to Europe, the CIS, the Middle East and Asia. The airline plans to expand its network with regular flights to destinations in North America and South-East Asia in 2013 using wide-body aircraft. As the national flag carrier, Azerbaijan Hava Yollari holds an important place in the international aviation community and a leading position in the CIS. For more information, please visit www.azal.az.
About the EMBRAER 170/190 Family of E-Jets
The Embraer family of E-Jets consists of four commercial jets with 70 to 122 seats, featuring advanced engineering design, efficient performance, outstanding operating economics, low emissions levels and a spacious cabin without middle seats (2x2).
E-Jets have a maximum cruising speed of Mach 0.82, can fly at 41,000 feet (12,500 meters) and have ranges of up to 2,400 nautical miles (4,450 kilometers). The high degree of commonality among the four aircraft – EMBRAER 170, EMBRAER 175, EMBRAER 190 and EMBRAER 195 – results in exceptional savings for carriers in terms of crew training and the cost of spare parts and maintenance. Another key feature of E-Jets is their state-of-the-art, fly-by-wire technology which increases operating safety while reducing pilot workload and fuel consumption.
The double-bubble fuselage design provides superior comfort and includes two main passenger and two service doors to minimize aircraft turn-around time. E-Jets offer much more space for passengers, in a single or dual-class layout, than other aircraft of similar seating capacities. For more details, visit www.EmbraerCommercialJets.com.
E-Jets have achieved outstanding success with over 1,000 firm orders logged and 900 E-Jets have been delivered. This proven family is helping airlines to right size low load factor flights on narrow body routes, to replace older, inefficient aircraft, and to develop new markets with lower operating costs, greater efficiency all while delivering outstanding passenger comfort. To better understand the benefits of these aircraft to substitute older jets, visit www.eforefficiency.com.
