Silk Way Airlines, a cargo carrier based in Baku in Azerbaijan, has announced an order for two Boeing 747-8 Freighters. Boeing values the airline's...

Silk Way Airlines, a cargo carrier based in Baku in Azerbaijan, has announced an order for two Boeing 747-8 Freighters.

Boeing values the airline’s order for the two widebody freighters at $704 million at current list prices.

“Silk Way Airlines’ vision is to be a successful and profitable cargo operator by investing in its fleet and services and continuing to increase its regional and international footprint,” says Zaur Akhundov, president of SW Holding, the parent company of Silk Way Airlines. “The order for two Boeing 747-8 Freighters is a move in that direction.”

Based at Baku’s Heydar Aliyev International Airport (IATA code GYD), Silk Way Airlines currently operates three Boeing 747-400 Freighter and two Boeing 767-300 Freighter widebodies, as well as seven Ilyushin Il-76MF cargo jets and three Antonov An-12BK large turboprop freighters.

According to Boeing, Silk Way Airlines is considered as one of the leading cargo airlines in Central Asia.

The carrier provides freighter services to Europe and the United Kingdom and the Middle East, as well as to countries and territories in the Far East including Korea, China and Hong Kong. In addition, Silk Way Airlines also serves other international destinations through a network of alliances.

“One of the goals of the Azerbaijani government is to continue building Baku’s strategic positioning as a trade hub,” says Jahangir Askerov, president of Azerbaijan Airlines and architect of the country’s present-day civil aviation industry. “The addition of the new Boeing 747-8 Freighters will enable Silk Way Airlines to expand its operations and help the government achieve its objective.”

The Boeing 747-8 Freighter is optimized to provide greater revenue cargo-carrying capability than the 747-400, offering 16 per cent more cargo volume while keeping its iconic nose door.

With more than 150,000 hours in service, Boeing 747-8 Freighters are achieving performance targets, according to Boeing, with customers reporting 1 per cent better fuel burn than expected.

To date, Boeing has delivered 36 747-8 Freighters.