Buta Airways (J2/AHY) was the low-cost trademark of 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan Airlines that operated passenger flights from 2017 until 2023.
History
In December 2016, 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan Airlines announced that it would set up its own in-house, low-cost airline named 🇦🇿 AZALJet. After a year of operation, it was decided that 🇦🇿 AZALJet would be replaced by a new airline named Buta Airways, which would have fleet of twee Embraer aircraft in its own livery, operated by its own staff and with an independent tariff policy.
The airline’s livery and logo were approved on 2 June 2017, with the logo reflecting the symbolism of the mythological sacred bird Simurg, represented in the form of the Azerbaijani ornament buta. The livery consisted of buta patterns drawn in blue on the aircraft’s aft and forward section, which represents the airline’s ties with Azerbaijan Airlines, and also in bright red, which refers to Azerbaijan’s flag.
While Buta Airways is a low-cost airline, with minimum airfare for one way journey starting at 29 euros, it offers free sandwiches and water on board for all customers. Additionally, passengers can choose services including baggage, hot meals and seat selection at an additional cost.
The first service to Europe started on 16 January 2018, with a once weekly service to Sofia. Buta Aiways welcomed its eighth Embraer E190 jet later that year and Batumi, Ufa and Odessa were added to its network in 2019. A temporary suspension of its Russian destinations started in February 2022, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but the airline later resumed operations in June and opened a new route between Baku and Volgograd in January 2023.
It was announced on 28 July 2023, that 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan Airlines and Buta Airways would be merging into a single brand in October. Buta Airways fleet was gradually painted in the livery of 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan Airlines.