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Silk Way Airlines, an Azerbaijan-based cargo carrier, began operations in 2001 with a fleet of five Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft. Silk Way West Airlines, formed in 2012, has become the largest cargo carrier in the region and operates an all-Boeing fleet. The group includes two main airlines—Silk Way Airlines and Silk Way West Airlines—and is privately owned by the Silk Way Group. Additionally, it includes Silk Way Technics, which focuses on aircraft maintenance and repair.
Silk Way Airlines started as a cargo charter airline to support Azerbaijan's strategy for economic independence. "Azerbaijan needed its own air cargo company as part of a wider strategy to establish its economic independence and leadership in the region; thus, in the early 2000s, Silk Way Airlines was created," stated the airline. Based at Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku, it operates scheduled routes from Baku to Asia and Europe alongside extensive charter operations.
The airline has faced accusations since 2018 regarding involvement in arms shipments with US government financing—a claim it denies. Reports also emerged about lucrative US defense contracts during the Afghanistan conflict.
