Nippon Express and Silk Way West Airlines sign MOU on air cargo transport

A Silk Way West Airlines B747 cargo freighter lands in Japan.
i北陸 (i Hokuriku), CC BY 2.1 JP, via Wikimedia Commons
Len Varley - Assistant Editor 4 Min Read
4 Min Read

LONDON – Nippon Express Holdings has signed a memorandum with Silk Way West Airlines, a cargo airline in Azerbaijan, on Friday, December 23, 2022, to further develop and promote cooperation in air cargo transport.

Silk Way West Airlines, established in 2012 and based in Baku, Azerbaijan, has been rapidly expanding its network to Narita Airport and other major airports in Asia as well as to Europe and the United States.

The Nippon Express Group has positioned forwarding as one of its core businesses in the “Nippon Express Group Business Plan 2023: Dynamic Growth,” and it is vigorously pursuing initiatives in line with its growth strategies for the air forwarding business.

2023 is something of an important year, as it formally marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and the Republic of Azerbaijan.

As part of that formal commitment, the Nippon Express Group has concluded this memorandum with Silk Way West Airlines to provide solutions that optimize its customers’ complexly changing supply chains.

The partnership will also help to further deepen exchanges and develop economic activities between the two countries. At the same time, it realises the Nippon Express Group’s long-term vision of becoming a logistics company with a strong presence in the global market.

The Nippon Express Group has stated that it “will continue striving to expand its air forwarding business by offering access to a global network and high-quality international air transport services.”

About Silk Way West Airlines


Founded in 2012 in Baku, at the heart of the Silk Road, Silk Way West Airlines is the largest cargo airline in the Caspian Sea region.

Based at Heydar Aliyev International Airport, the airline operates around 350 monthly flights across Europe, Asia, and the Americas via its fleet of 12 dedicated Boeing 747-8F and Boeing 747-400F freighter aircraft.

The airline’s annual cargo turnover exceeds 420,000 tons, while its growing route network covers over 40 destinations across Europe, the CIS, the Middle East, Central and Eastern Asiaandthe Americas.

A member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) since 2015, Silk Way West Airlines meets all international safety requirements for air cargo.

South Korea’s Incheon Airport honoured Silk Way West Airlines with the prestigious ‘Cargo Airline of the Year 2020’ award.

The carrier is a GDP (Good Distribution Practice) certificate holder extending its product line in transportation of medical goods and pharmaceutical logistics services.

Further to this accreditation, Silk Way West Airlines improved its capacity in reliably handling time- and temperature-sensitive cargo taking a leading role in global distribution of medical supplies.

On April 28, 2021, Silk Way West Airlines signed a strategic fleet expansion agreement with Boeing for five state-of-the-art 777 Freighters.

Silk Way West Airlines is part of Silk Way Group, which consists of three companies – Silk Way West Airlines, Silk Way Airlines and Silk Way Technics.

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