Silk Way West Airlines, the leading cargo airline in the Caspian and Central Asian region, has signed an agreement with Airbus for the acquisition of two additional A350F freighters.

It brings the airline’s total order for this next-generation model to four aircraft and demonstrates its commitment to fleet modernisation.

The new order builds upon the partnership established between Silk Way West Airlines and Airbus in June 2022, when the airline became the first operator in the Central Asia and CIS region to order the A350F.

Wolfgang Meier, president of Silk Way West Airlines, said: “The A350F will strengthen our leading position in the global air freight market as we continue to modernise our fleet and reduce our carbon footprint.”

Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Airbus executive vice president sales of the commercial aircraft business, said: “This repeat order from Silk Way West Airlines… is a great vote of confidence at a time when the A350F is physically taking shape in our assembly lines.

“The A350F will ensure the airline maintains its leading position in the global air freight market and further enables its key role in developing Azerbaijan as a major global cargo hub at the heart of the Silk Road.”

The A350F, which can carry a payload of up to 111 tonnes and covers a range of up to 8,700 km, features the largest main deck cargo door in the sector, with fuselage length and capacity optimised around industry-standard pallets and containers.

Over 70% of the airframe is made of advanced materials, resulting in a 46-tonne lighter take-off weight than the competing model.

The A350F is also the only freighter aircraft that will fully meet the International Civil Aviation Organization’s enhanced CO2 emissions standards, coming into effect in 2027.

Powered by the latest Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, the aircraft can deliver a reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions of up to 40% when compared to previous generation aircraft with a similar payload-range capability.

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