BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 6. The purchase of new aircraft will contribute to the development of Azerbaijan's economy, Azerbaijan's Minister of Digital Development of Transport Rashad Nabiyev said during an event dedicated to the signing of a contract between Azerbaijan Airlines CJSC (AZAL) and Airbus for the purchase of aircraft, TurkicWorld reports.

According to him, this deal is part of AZAL's strategy until 2030.

"AZAL is the only company in Azerbaijan that earns about $1 billion a year. The purchase of 12 new aircraft will significantly expand Azerbaijan's presence in foreign markets," he said.

The minister noted that AZAL is one of the safest companies in the world.

"International organizations estimate the safety of AZAL's passenger transportation at more than 80 percent, which is about 5 percent higher than that of a number of European airlines," he said.

In addition, Nabiyev said that important steps are being taken to ensure the efficiency of the airline.

"Currently, AZAL's aircraft fleet consists of nine different types of planes. AZAL's strategy until 2030 has already been developed, and as part of it, large-scale work will be carried out to improve its operation and increase the fleet," he added.

According to the minister, in 2022, AZAL carried passengers in 26 different directions.