Silk Way West Airlines Explained

Silk Way West Airlines is an Azerbaijani cargo airline with its head office and main operating base at Heydar Aliyev International Airport^[2] in Baku, Azerbaijan.^[3] It is a subsidiary of the Silk Way Group along with sister airline, Silk Way Airlines.^{[4] [5]}

History

Founded in 2012 in Baku, Silk Way West Airlines is the largest cargo airline in the Caspian Sea region. The carrier is a part of Silk Way Group, which also includes Silk Way Airlines, and Silk Way Technics. Based at Heydar Aliyev International Airport, the airline operates around 350 monthly flights across the globe via its fleet of 12 dedicated Boeing 747-8F and 747-400F aircraft. The airline's annual cargo turnover exceeds 420,000 tons, while its growing route network covers over 40 destinations across Europe, the CIS, the Middle East, Central and Eastern Asia, and North and South America.

On April 28, 2021, Silk Way West Airlines signed a strategic fleet expansion agreement with Boeing for five Boeing 777 Freighters.^[6] Two more Boeing 747-400F were received in March 2022. On 28 June 2022, Silkway West also signed an agreement with Airbus for 2 Airbus A350F aircraft, with an expected entry into service in 2027. The aircraft will be registered in Bermuda.^[7]

Destinations

Silk Way West Airlines operates cargo flights to 45 destinations in Europe, Asia and North America. In October 2018, the company announced it would launch a twice-weekly freighter service from its hub in Baku to Tianjin in China.^{[8] [9]} In August 2023 direct flights from Baku to Los Angeles were announced.^[10]

Fleet

As of October 2023, Silk Way West Airlines operates the following aircraft:

Silk Way West Airlines Fleet!Aircraft!In Service!Orders!Notes

Airbus A350F	-	2	Order with 2 options to be delivered from 2027.[11]
Boeing 747-400F	5	-
Boeing 747-8F	5	-
Boeing 777F	2	3
Boeing 777-8F	-	2	Order with 2 options. Deliveries begin in 2025.[12]
Total	12	7

The additional fleet of Ilyushin Il-76 cargo aircraft is operated by sister company Silk Way Airlines.

External links

• Official Website

Notes and References

1. Web site: Federal Aviation Administration - Airline Certificate Information - Detail View. silkwaywest.com.
2. Web site: Silk Way West Airlines Airline Profile CAPA. centreforaviation.com. en. 2018-06-16.
3. Web site: Silk Way West Airlines increases Baku-Zhengzhou frequency to six weekly. centreforaviation.com.
4. Web site: Wolfgang Meier On The Business And Social Impact Of The Cargo Aviation Industry in Africa And Beyond. www.forbes.com. en-gb.
5. Web site: Silk Way West Airlines pursues strategic co-operation with JAL Cargo. aircargonews.net. 20 July 2018.
6. Web site: Silk Way West Airlines orders five Boeing-777 . 2021-04-28 . boeing.com . en.
7. Web site: Silk Way West Airlines aviation photos on JetPhotos. JetPhotos. en. 2019-10-18.
8. https://aircargoworld.com/allposts/silk-way-adds-twice-weekly-route-to-tianjin-china/ Silk Way adds twice-weekly route to Tianjin, China
9. Web site: Silk Way West Airlines . silkwaywest.com. en. 2018-06-14.
10. News: Silk Way West adds weekly flights to Los Angeles . 10 August 2023 . www.stattimes.com . STAT Times . 9 August 2023 . en.
11. Web site: Azerbaijan's Silk Way West Airlines orders 2+2 A350(F)s. Ch-Aviation. en. 30 June 2022.
12. Silk Way West Airlines continues fleet renewal with a further Boeing 777 Freighter. Silk Way West Airlines. en. 18 March 2024.