Silk Way West expands its fleet with two more B747-400Fs

Silk Way West, Azerbaijani all-cargo carrier, has added a B747-400F to its fleet (Silk Way West Airlines)

In order to sustain its rapidly developing route network plans, Silk Way West Airlines (SWW) has added two more Boeing 747-400Fs to its existing fleet of 12 freighter aircraft.

The first of the two additional wide-bodied, longhaul cargojets (formerly operated by Malaysian Airlines Cargo) joined the Azerbaijani all-cargo carrier last week, with the second due in June.

“These two long-expected additional aircraft will further support the growth of our network by enhancing the options to intensify existing Silk Way West Airlines’ routes and also to add new destinations to the current global network of more than 45 destinations,“ declares Wolfgang Meier, president and chief executive officer at Silk Way West Airlines.

Meier became the new boss of SWW on January 1, 2018, replacing Kamran Gasimov, who is now chief operating officer. Meier, formerly with Russia’s Volga-Dnepr and its AirBridgeCargo subsidiary, joined the Baku-based Silk Way Group in June 2016.

In the meantime, from the end of last month, Silk Way West has maintained its expansion flight-path by adding scheduled twice-weekly services between Belgium’s Liège airport and the Silk Way Baku hub. Along with the launch of services at the Belgian airport, the carrier has also recently re-introduced Boeing 747-8F services to Budapest, returning to the Hungarian airport after a two-year hiatus.

“The aim is to further knit our European network by adding more destinations and maintaining a denser schedule in order to offer our customers the highest flexibility,” adds Meier.

Silk Way West Airlines‘ fleet now consists of 13 Boeing 747 full freighters, with another due for delivery in June. The carrier operates a network of some 45 destinations through Baku, connecting China, Central Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa and North America.