Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) has taken delivery of its first Airbus A321neo aircraft under a leasing agreement with AerCap during a ceremony held in Hamburg, Germany.


Speaking during a media tour in Hamburg, Airbus Commercial Marketing Executive Malhar Pendse highlighted Azerbaijan's strategic importance to the European aircraft manufacturer, describing the country as a key bridge between Europe and Asia and an important Airbus customer, Caliber.Az reports via local media.


“Azerbaijan occupies a strategically important geographic position between Europe and Asia and is an important customer for Airbus,” Pendse said, noting that Airbus received an order from AZAL in 2022.




According to Airbus, the newly delivered aircraft is the first Airbus A321neo of its generation to enter service in Azerbaijan, marking a significant milestone in the modernization of the national carrier's fleet.


Pendse outlined the scale of Airbus' global operations, noting that the company has received orders for 26,272 aircraft from 450 customers worldwide, of which 17,019 have already been delivered.


The A320 family continues to be Airbus' most successful aircraft program. To date, the manufacturer has secured approximately 20,100 orders for aircraft in the A320 family, while around 12,600 units have already been delivered to customers.


Airbus currently produces between 45 and 75 aircraft from the A320neo family each month. Assembly operations are carried out across several production sites in the United States, France, China, and Germany, including Airbus's major facility in Hamburg.


The company has received around 12,000 orders for aircraft from the A320neo family from approximately 150 airlines worldwide. Of those, the A321neo accounts for nearly 9,500 orders, with more than 7,700 aircraft already delivered.


The Airbus A321neo is a narrow-body aircraft that has evolved from a traditional medium-haul jet into a long-range aircraft capable of remaining airborne for up to 10 hours. Equipped with advanced technologies and improved fuel efficiency, the aircraft can accommodate up to 244 passengers.


Pendse noted that A321neo-family aircraft are now operated across global markets.


“Today, more than 15% of all A321neo operations are on long-haul routes,” he said.


According to Airbus, the company produced approximately 800 aircraft in 2025, including more than 620 aircraft from the A320 family, underscoring continued strong demand for its best-selling narrow-body jet program.


By Vafa Guliyeva