AZAL intends to postpone delivery of Boeing 737 MAX-8

By Azernews

By Mirsaid Ibrahimzade

Azerbaijan Airlines CJSC (AZAL) intends to postpone the timing of delivery of Boeing 737 MAX-8 aircraft till 2024, the company said in a message on June 3.

Currently, AZAL is negotiating with Boeing Corporation regarding delivery of the aircraft.

In accordance with the contract signed in 2017, the aircraft were to be supplied this year and AZAL has already made advance payments.

The sides are also discussing the supply of new wide-body aircraft.

All 737 MAX-8 airplanes, acquired by many airlines worldwide, were not used anymore after two tragic incidents.

Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport in Ethiopia to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya. On March 10, 2019, the Boeing 737 MAX-8 aircraft which operated the flight crashed near the town of Bishoftu six minutes after takeoff, killing all 157 people aboard.

Another accident occurred during the domestic flight operated by the Indonesian airline Lion Air from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta to Depati Amir Airport in Pangkal Pinang. On October 29, 2018, the Boeing 737 MAX-8 operating the route crashed into the Java Sea 12 minutes after takeoff, killing all 189 passengers and the crew.

Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) is a major air carrier and one of the leaders of the aviation community of the CIS countries. Total route network of the airline includes 40 destinations in 25 countries.

AZAL currently operates Boeing-787, Boeing-767, Boeing-757, as well as Airbus A340, A320, A319 and Embraer E190 aircraft.

The airline is a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which is the most prestigious civil aviation association. Aircrafts of the Azerbaijani civil aviation fully meet the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.