Silk Way Airlines
| File:Silk Way Airlines logo.png | |||||||
| |||||||
| Founded | 2001 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hubs | Heydar Aliyev International Airport | ||||||
| Subsidiaries | SW Group | ||||||
| Fleet size | 18 | ||||||
| Destinations | 20 | ||||||
| Headquarters | Heydar Aliyev International Airport Baku, Azerbaijan | ||||||
| Website | silkway-airlines.com | ||||||
Silk Way Airlines is a cargo airline with its head office and flight operations at Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku, Azerbaijan.[1] It operates freight services linking Europe and Asia, as well as services for government and non-governmental organisations.
History
The company was founded in 2001 and started commercial flights on 6 October 2001.[2] In early 2015 a deal was being finalised to acquire a further 3 Boeing 747-8 freighter aircraft.[3]
In May 2015 the airline was announced as the launch customer for the Antonov An-178 after placing an order for 10 aircraft.[4]
Destinations
As of April 2013, Silk Way Airlines offers scheduled flights to the following destinations:[5]
- Hong Kong – Hong Kong International Airport
- Shanghai – Pudong International Airport
- Ürümqi – Ürümqi Diwopu International Airport
Road freighter service (RFS) is also provided from Baku to additional destinations in Central Asia.
Fleet
The Silk Way Airlines fleet consists of the following freighter aircraft (as of August 2015):
| Aircraft | In Service | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Antonov An-12 | BK model | |
| Antonov An-178 | Firm order May 2015 for 10 aircraft[6] | |
| Boeing 747-400F | Former Cargolux airframes with Rolls-Royce RB211 engines | |
| Boeing 747-8F | 2 ordered in July 2013. 3 ordered on 3 March 2015 | |
| Boeing 767-300F | Purchased by FedEx Express February 2015 | |
| Ilyushin Il-76TD | Fleet equipped with Aviadvigatel PS-90A-76 Stage IV compliance engines | |
| Total | 18 |
Incidents and accidents
- On 7 November 2002 at 11:30 local time, Silk Way Airlines Flight 4132, which was operated using an Antonov An-12 (registered 4K-AZ21) overshot the runway upon landing at N'Djamena International Airport in Chad. The aircraft was destroyed, but the six crew members on board survived.[8]
- On 6 July 2011 at 00:10 local time, a Silk Way Airlines Ilyushin Il-76 (registered 4K-AZ55) crashed into a mountain 25 kilometers short of Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, killing all of the crew of nine people on board the cargo flight from Baku, which was operating on behalf of NATO.[9][10]
References
- ^ "Contact." Silk Way Airlines. Retrieved on 25 August 2011. "Head office Heydar Aliyev International Airport AZ1044 Baku, Azerbaijan."
- ^ Fleet list of Silk Way Airlines at the Aero Transport Database
- ^ "Silk Way Eyes More 747-8s". Airliner World: 10. March 2015.
- ^ "Antonovs for Silk Way". Airliner World (July 2015): 8.
- ^ Silk Way Airlines timetable at silkway-airlines.com
- ^ "Silk Way Airlines signs a firm order for ten Antonov An-178 freighters after the successful first flight". World Airline News.
- ^ "Boeing". boeing.mediaroom.com.
- ^ Harro Ranter (7 November 2002). "ASN Aircraft accident Antonov 12BK 4K-AZ21 Kome". aviation-safety.net.
- ^ Harro Ranter (6 July 2011). "ASN Aircraft accident Ilyushin 76TD 4K-AZ55 Bagram Air Base (BPM)". aviation-safety.netaviation-safety.net.
- ^ "The Aviation Herald". avherald.com.
External links
Media related to Silk Way Airlines at Wikimedia Commons
