Vienna Airport is pleased to welcome a new airline to the flight hub: starting 2 May 2023, Azerbaijan Airlines will regularly operate flights between Vienna and Baku. The national airline of Azerbaijan will deploy an Airbus A319 to link the two capital cities twice per week. As a result, travellers will have a quick and direct flight connection from Vienna to the Caspian Sea. The new route was officially opened today within the context of a photo session by Khalaf Khalafov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, His Excellency Rovshan Sadigbayli, Ambassador of Azerbaijan in Austria, as well as Jamil Manizade, Deputy Executive Director of Azerbaijan Airlines and Julian Jäger, Joint CEO and COO of Vienna Airport. “Welcome Azerbaijan Airlines! I am pleased to be able to greet a new airline offering a new direct flight connection to our airport. Azerbaijan’s flag carrier now connects two pulsating capitals, namely Vienna and Baku. As an economic centre and the largest city on the Caspian Sea, Baku is an interesting destination for business and holiday trips. The new flight connection is now also available just on time before the summer season begins for tourists from Azerbaijan so that they can enjoy a city trip to Vienna,” states Julian Jäger, Joint CEO and COO of Vienna Airport. “Relations between Azerbaijan and Austria have been continuously developing over the past 30 years on the firm foundation of mutual understanding and friendship. Launching of direct flights between the two countries will be not only an important milestone in bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Austria in its own right, but will definitely contribute to air mobility and connectivity and will open up new opportunities for enhancing and deepening our cooperation,” says Rovshan Sadigbayli, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Republic of Austria. “One of the main and very noble missions of Civil Aviation is to ensure the safe transportation of passengers, baggage and cargo. By establishing air bridges between countries, we help people quickly and safely cross the distance to see their loved ones, help manage their business efficiently and finally just spend a good time. And I am very proud that today Azerbaijan Airlines, 4 Star Carrier by Skytrax, has again taken on this mission by opening direct passenger flights between Vienna and Baku, which will help to fully discover the tourism potential of Azerbaijan and Austria for the citizens of the two friendly countries, to contribute to strengthening economic, cultural and social ties, which are in a phase of intensive growth,” explains Jamil Manizade Deputy Director Executive of Azerbaijan Airlines. Flight service will be offered every Tuesday and Friday. Flight time between Vienna and Baku is about three and one-half hours. Azerbaijan’s capital city of Baku is situated directly on the Caspian Sea and offers a modern big city flair along with a medieval, fortified old town. The historical centre can be explored well during a city trip. Azerbaijan Airlines was founded as the country’s national airline in the year 1992. The airline operates its main flight hub at its home airport Heydar Aliyev International in Baku and has a fleet consisting of more than 20 aircraft.