AZAL plans to use AI to speed up handling of passenger contact-centre inquiries
Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) said AI-based tools are planned to classify and route customer inquiries after its contact centre handled 460,119 requests in January–August 2026, commercial director Jamil Manizada said on 16 September.
Azerbaijan Airlines CJSC ("Azərbaycan Hava Yolları" QSC, AZAL) plans to introduce artificial intelligence-based technologies to classify and route customer inquiries and cut waiting times at its contact centre, AZAL Commercial Director Jamil Manizada said on 16 September 2026, according to Report.az.
What AZAL said
Manizada said the upgrade responds to delays in processing requests during periods of peak demand. Under the airline's updated development strategy, its international and domestic contact centres were merged into a single management structure on 1 July, centralising resources and standardising service, according to Report.az.
AZAL is prioritising omnichannel service, self-service call routing, and "AI-based solutions" for classifying and routing inquiries, Manizada said. "Technology is a key tool in our transformation," he said.
AZAL also disclosed contact-centre performance for the first eight months of 2026:
| Metric (January–August 2026) | Figure |
|---|---|
| Total inquiries processed | 460,119 |
| Phone calls handled | 201,466 |
| Requests via digital channels | 246,396 |
| Service level for answered calls | 80.4 |
| Passenger satisfaction, phone inquiries | 86.6% |
The figures were confirmed in a separate report by Baku.ws, which cited the same statement.
Why it matters
AZAL's plan moves Azerbaijan's AI conversation from ministry-level statements of intent toward a concrete deployment inside a large, customer-facing state company. Manizada gave no date, vendor or budget for the AI rollout, so the announcement should be read as a declared direction rather than a completed system.
What it means for Azerbaijani companies
AZAL's approach — consolidating service channels first, then layering AI-based classification and routing on top — offers a template other state-linked and private-sector companies with large call centres (banks, utilities, telecoms) may follow. It also fits goal one of the national Artificial Intelligence Strategy for 2025–2028, "enhancing the competitiveness of the country's economy," which the strategy names as one of four objectives for state and commercial adoption of AI. Companies planning similar customer-service automation have no sector-specific AI regulation to comply with domestically yet; the strategy remains a framework document rather than a binding technical standard.
