Azernews.Az

By Nazrin Gadimova

Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) intends to launch the Baku-Beijing and Beijing-Baku direct flights in the beginning of September, 2013, with an objective to further expand the flight geography, AZAL said on July 11.

The first flight, originally scheduled for May 10, was postponed to a later date due to China's new requirements on AZAL.

The flights will be carried out twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays by Airbus А-340 and Boeing 767.

"All issues have been coordinated and the flights will launch in September," the source added.

In addition, AZAL jointly with the Chinese airline partners offers special transfer tariffs to passengers traveling to such Chinese cities as Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shendzhen, Hangzhou, Zhengzhou, Xi'an, Chengdu and to the airports of Eastern and South-Eastern Asian countries.

AZAL also intends to launch flights to the United States with the ability to refuel in one of the European countries.

According to AZAL, opening the flight from Baku to New York will be possible this fall. Relevant discussions will be carried out with the representatives of the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States (FAA) during their visit to Azerbaijan, the source noted.

The flight will be carried out through a European country three times a week by Airbus A-340-500, whilst the transit country wasn't named.

AZAL, the biggest Azerbaijani airline and national flag carrier, offers passenger flights to countries in Europe, the CIS, Middle East and Asia. After purchasing new Boeing aircraft for long-haul flights in 2014, the airline plans to open regular flights to destinations in North America and South-East Asia.

The company is a regional and CIS leader for the number of new aircraft. Its fleet currently consists of modern aircraft meeting all safety requirements, including Boeing 757-200, Airbus А319, ATR 42, ATR 72, Airbus А320 and Boeing 767-300.

It cooperates with about 60 airlines to provide its passengers with the opportunity to travel freely around the world.

AZAL was certified by IATA Operational Safety Audit, a program that is an internationally recognized evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline.