Silk Way Airlines
Encyclopedia
Silk Way Airlines is a cargo airline
with its head office and flight operations on the property of Heydar Aliyev International Airport
in Baku
, Azerbaijan
. The company was founded in 2001 (with the launch of commercial flights on 6 October) and offers freight services linking Europe to Asia, which is why its name is inspired by the Silk Road
. Silk Way Airlines is part of the EuroAsian Transport Company and has signed co-operating contracts with Azerbaijan Airlines
, Lufthansa Cargo
and Cargolux
.
Road freighter service (RFS) is also provided from Baku to additional destinations in Central Asia.
Cargo airline
Cargo airlines are airlines dedicated to the transport of cargo. Some cargo airlines are divisions or subsidiaries of larger passenger airlines.-Logistics:...
with its head office and flight operations on the property of Heydar Aliyev International Airport
Heydar Aliyev International Airport
Heydar Aliyev International Airport is the international airport in Azerbaijan located northeast of the capital Baku. The airport is the home of Azerbaijan Airlines, the national flag carrier...
in Baku
Baku
Baku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
. The company was founded in 2001 (with the launch of commercial flights on 6 October) and offers freight services linking Europe to Asia, which is why its name is inspired by the Silk Road
Silk Road
The Silk Road or Silk Route refers to a historical network of interlinking trade routes across the Afro-Eurasian landmass that connected East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean and European world, as well as parts of North and East Africa...
. Silk Way Airlines is part of the EuroAsian Transport Company and has signed co-operating contracts with Azerbaijan Airlines
Azerbaijan Airlines
Azerbaijan Airlines is the national flag carrier of Azerbaijan with a main base in the Heydar Aliyev International Airport, Baku, operating a network of scheduled passenger and cargo services. Member of IATA....
, Lufthansa Cargo
Lufthansa Cargo
Lufthansa Cargo AG is a cargo airline from Germany, operating worldwide air freight and logistics services on behalf of Lufthansa, of which it is a wholly owned subsidiary. The company is headquartered in Building 451 of the Frankfurt Airport area in Frankfurt, the major hub of Lufthansa...
and Cargolux
Cargolux
Cargolux Airlines International S.A., trading as Cargolux, is a cargo airline with its head office on the grounds of Luxembourg – Findel Airport in Sandweiler, Luxembourg. It is one of the largest scheduled all-cargo airlines in Europe with a global network...
.
Destinations
As of June 2011, Silk Way Airlines offers scheduled flights to the following destinations:- Afghanistan
- BagramBagramBagram , founded as Alexandria on the Caucasus and known in medieval times as Kapisa, is a small town and seat in Bagram District in Parwan Province of Afghanistan, about 60 kilometers north of the capital Kabul. It is the site of an ancient city located at the junction of the Ghorband and Panjshir...
- Bagram Airfield - KabulKabulKabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
- Kabul International AirportKabul International Airport-Facilities:The airport has two terminal buildings, the modern for international flights and the Soviet built one for domestic flights. Several hangars along the runway are for military aircraft... - KandaharKandaharKandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
- Kandahar International Airport
- Bagram
- Azerbaijan
- BakuBakuBaku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
- Heydar Aliyev International AirportHeydar Aliyev International AirportHeydar Aliyev International Airport is the international airport in Azerbaijan located northeast of the capital Baku. The airport is the home of Azerbaijan Airlines, the national flag carrier...
(hub)
- Baku
- China
- ShanghaiShanghaiShanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
- Pudong International Airport - ÜrümqiÜrümqiÜrümqi , formerly Tihwa , is the capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, in the northwest of the country....
- Ürümqi Diwopu International AirportÜrümqi Diwopu International AirportÜrümqi Diwopu International Airport is an airport serving Ürümqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwestern China. The airport is located in Diwopu, northwest of downtown Ürümqi...
- Shanghai
- Georgia
- TbilisiTbilisiTbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
- Tbilisi Airport
- Tbilisi
- Germany
- HahnHahn, Rhineland-Palatinate-History:Within Hahn’s municipal limits are traces of Roman and Frankish settlement. The placename Hahn, originally written Hagene , and later also Haan, Han, Hane, and Hain, originally meant, according to the Rhenish toponym researcher Heinrich Dittmaier, “wattled fence”, then later “enclosed...
- Frankfurt-Hahn AirportFrankfurt-Hahn Airport-Cargo airlines:-Other facilities:AirIT Services AG, a subsidiary of Fraport, has its head office in Building 663 at Hahn Airport.-References:*Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982 USAF Reference Series, Office of Air Force History, United States Air Force,...
- Hahn
- Kazakhstan
- AktauAktauAktau , formerly known as Shevchenko , is a city in Kazakhstan's Mangyshlak Peninsula and country's only seaport on the Caspian Sea. It is the capital of Mangystau Province in western Kazakhstan...
- Aktau AirportAktau Airport-Airlines and destinations:... - AktobeAktobeAktobe , formerly known as Aktyubinsk , is a city on the Ilek River in Kazakhstan. With a population of 277,700, it is the capital of Aktobe Province. Aktobe has a mixed ethnic community, including Kazakhs, Russians, Ukrainians, Tatars, Uyghurs, Chechens, Armenians, Jews and Greeks...
- Aktobe AirportAktobe AirportAktobe Airport is an airport in Kazakhstan located 4 km south of Aktobe. It has a small terminal with five airliner parking spots. It has serviced the Ilyushin Il-86.-Airlines and destinations:... - AtyrauAtyrauAtyrau , known as Guryev until 1991, is a city in Kazakhstan, and the capital of Atyrau Province. It is located at the mouth of the Ural River, 2700 kilometers west of Almaty and 350 kilometers east of the Russian city of Astrakhan. Other transliterations include Aterau, Atirau, Atyraw, Atyraou,...
- Atyrau AirportAtyrau AirportATMA Atyrau Airport is an airport in Atyrau, Kazakhstan.- History :ATMA obtained the operational rights of ATMA Atyrau Airport when the airport was privatized as a build and operate model in 1994. ATMA is a joint company which Mağdenli Yer Hizmetleri owns the 50 % of the shares and the remaining... - OralOral, KazakhstanOral , Uralsk in Russian, formerly known as Yaitsk , is a city in northwestern Kazakhstan, at the confluence of the Ural and Chogan Rivers close to the Russian border. As it is located on the western side of the Ural river, it is considered geographically in Europe. It has a population of 350,000...
- Oral Ak Zhol AirportOral Ak Zhol AirportOral Ak Zhol Airport is an airport in Kazakhstan located 12 km southeast of Oral, Kazakhstan. It is a small airport servicing medium-sized airliners. It has parking for 4 jets. This airport has two terminals - domestic and international...
- Aktau
- Kyrgyzstan
- BishkekBishkekBishkek , formerly Pishpek and Frunze, is the capital and the largest city of Kyrgyzstan.Bishkek is also the administrative centre of Chuy Province which surrounds the city, even though the city itself is not part of the province but rather a province-level unit of Kyrgyzstan.The name is thought to...
- Manas Airport
- Bishkek
- Italy
- MilanMilanMilan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
- Malpensa AirportMalpensa AirportMilano Malpensa Airport "City of Milan" , former "Aeroporto Città di Milano" is Milan's largest airport. It is located 39.97 km northwest of central Milan, Italy...
- Milan
- Luxembourg
- LuxembourgLuxembourg (city)The city of Luxembourg , also known as Luxembourg City , is a commune with city status, and the capital of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It is located at the confluence of the Alzette and Pétrusse Rivers in southern Luxembourg...
- Luxembourg-Findel Airport
- Luxembourg
- Turkey
- IstanbulIstanbulIstanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
- Atatürk International AirportAtatürk International AirportAtatürk International Airport is the major international airport in Istanbul, Turkey. Opened in 1924 and located in Yeşilköy, on the European side of the city, it is west of the city centre. In 1980, the airport was renamed to Atatürk International Airport in honor of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the...
- Istanbul
- United Arab Emirates
- DubaiDubaiDubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
- Dubai International AirportDubai International AirportDubai International Airport is an international airport serving Dubai, the largest city of the United Arab Emirates. It is a major aviation hub in the Middle East, and is the main airport of Dubai. It is situated in the Al Garhoud district, southeast of Dubai...
- Dubai
Road freighter service (RFS) is also provided from Baku to additional destinations in Central Asia.
Fleet
As of June 2011, the Silk Way Airlines fleet consists of the following freighter aircraft with an average age of 13.6 years:| Aircraft | In Service | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Antonov An-12 Antonov An-12 The Antonov An-12 is a four-engined turboprop transport aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. It is the military version of the Antonov An-10.-Design and development:... |
||
| Boeing 747-400F Boeing 747-400 The Boeing 747-400 is a major development and the best-selling model of the Boeing 747 family of jet airliners. While retaining the four-engine wide-body layout of its predecessors, the 747-400 embodies numerous technological and structural changes to produce a more efficient airframe... |
||
| Ilyushin Il-76 Ilyushin Il-76 The Ilyushin Il-76 is a multi-purpose four-engined strategic airlifter designed by Ilyushin design bureau. It was first planned as a commercial freighter in 1967. Intended as a replacement for the Antonov An-12, the Il-76 was designed for delivering heavy machinery to remote, poorly-serviced areas... |
most aircraft are stored | |
| Total | 13 |
Incidents and accidents
- On 7 November 2002 at 11:30 local time, Silk Way Airlines Flight 4132, which was operated using an Antonov An-12Antonov An-12The Antonov An-12 is a four-engined turboprop transport aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. It is the military version of the Antonov An-10.-Design and development:...
(registeredAircraft registrationAn aircraft registration is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies a civil aircraft, in similar fashion to a licence plate on an automobile...
4K-AZ21) overshot the runway upon landing at N'Djamena International AirportN'Djamena International AirportN'Djamena International Airport , serves N'Djamena, Chad, and is the main international airport of Chad.The airport is dual use, with civilian and military installations on opposite sides of the single runway.- Military base :...
in ChadChadChad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
. The aircraft was destroyed, but the six crew members on board survived. - On 14 September 2004, a Silk Way Airlines Ilyushin Il-76Ilyushin Il-76The Ilyushin Il-76 is a multi-purpose four-engined strategic airlifter designed by Ilyushin design bureau. It was first planned as a commercial freighter in 1967. Intended as a replacement for the Antonov An-12, the Il-76 was designed for delivering heavy machinery to remote, poorly-serviced areas...
(registered 4K-AZ31) that had just departed Baku AirportHeydar Aliyev International AirportHeydar Aliyev International Airport is the international airport in Azerbaijan located northeast of the capital Baku. The airport is the home of Azerbaijan Airlines, the national flag carrier...
for a flight to Eindhoven suffered an explosion in its right inner engine, by which the right outer engine was also damaged. The two engines on the left-hand side remained operational, allowing for an emergency landing at Baku. - On 10 May 2007, Silk Way Airlines Flight 4992 from ReykjavíkReykjavíkReykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
to Trenton Air Force BaseCFB TrentonCanadian Forces Base Trenton , is a Canadian Forces base located northeast of Trenton, Ontario. It is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force and is the hub for air transport operations in Canada and abroad...
, which was operated on behalf of the Canadian Department of National DefenceDepartment of National Defence (Canada)The Department of National Defence , frequently referred to by its acronym DND, is the department within the government of Canada with responsibility for all matters concerning the defence of Canada...
using an Il-76 (registered 4K-AZ41), struck the airport perimeter fence with its landing gear upon approaching Trenton in low-visibility weather conditions. The pilots executed a go-aroundGo-aroundA go-around is an aborted landing of an aircraft that is on final approach.- Origin of the term :The term arises from the traditional use of traffic patterns at airfields. A landing aircraft will first join the circuit pattern and prepare for landing in an orderly fashion...
and diverted to Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International AirportOttawa Macdonald-Cartier International AirportOttawa/Macdonald-Cartier International Airport or Macdonald-Cartier International Airport , in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada is named after Sirs John A. Macdonald and George-Étienne Cartier...
, where the aircraft landed safely, even though it had suffered substantial damage to its fuselage. - On 6 July 2011 at 00:10 local time, a Silk Way Airlines Ilyushin Il-76Ilyushin Il-76The Ilyushin Il-76 is a multi-purpose four-engined strategic airlifter designed by Ilyushin design bureau. It was first planned as a commercial freighter in 1967. Intended as a replacement for the Antonov An-12, the Il-76 was designed for delivering heavy machinery to remote, poorly-serviced areas...
(registeredAircraft registrationAn aircraft registration is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies a civil aircraft, in similar fashion to a licence plate on an automobile...
4K-AZ55) crashed into a mountain 25 kilometers short of Bagram Air BaseBagram Air BaseBagram Airfield, also referred to as Bagram Air Base, is a militarized airport and housing complex that is located next to the ancient city of Bagram, southeast of Charikar in Parwan province of Afghanistan. The base is run by a US Army division headed by a major general. A large part of the base,...
in AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, killing all of the crew of nine people on board the cargo flight from BakuBakuBaku , sometimes spelled as Baki or Bakou, is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. It is located on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula, which projects into the Caspian Sea. The city consists of two principal...
, which was operating on behalf of NATO.