Boeing and Silk Way West Airlines finalized an order for two 777-8 freighters, with options for two additional aircraft, at a ceremony held at Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ Seattle Delivery Center.
The Azerbaijani cargo carrier, which serves forty destinations worldwide, is the first customer in the Eurasia region to order the U.S. manufacturer’s newest twin-engine freighter. Under the agreement, aircraft deliveries are scheduled for 2029 and 2030.
The order was previously listed as unidentified on Boeing’s Orders and Deliveries website.
«We are pleased to announce this order with our long-time partner, Boeing, and become one of the world’s first customers for the newest freighter,» said Zaur Akhundov, president of Silk Way Group. «This year, Silk Way West Airlines celebrates its 10th anniversary and, for the past decade, the airline has been operating a Boeing-only fleet,» he added.
Founded in 2012 in Baku, Silk Way West Airlines operates around 800 monthly flights worldwide through its fleet of 12 dedicated Boeing 747-8F and 747-400F aircraft based at Heydar Aliyev International Airport.
On April 28, 2021, Silk Way West Airlines signed a strategic fleet expansion agreement with Boeing for the purchase of five next-generation 777 Freighters. It has also signed an agreement to purchase two A350s (F), the first order from the Caspian region for this type of aircraft.
The airline’s annual cargo turnover exceeds 500,000 tons, while its growing route network covers more than 40 destinations in Europe, the CIS, the Middle East, Central and East Asia and the Americas.
Boeing launched the new 777-8 Freighter in January 2022 and has secured more than 50 orders for the model. According to the manufacturer, the 4l 777-8 Freighter has nearly identical range and payload capabilities to the 747-400 Freighter, while providing 30% greater fuel and emissions efficiency and 25% lower operating costs per ton. It is the ideal choice for operators to replace obsolete freighters later this decade.
«With sustained demand for air cargo tied to the expansion of e-commerce and the speed and reliability of air cargo, Boeing expects the worldwide cargo fleet to increase by 60 percent through 2041,» said Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. «We are proud that Boeing products, including this order for the 777-8 Freighter, will continue to drive Silk Way West Airlines’ expansion plans and help realize the ambition of making Baku a global cargo hub,» he concluded.
