Baku-based freighter operator Silk Way West Airlines has expanded its scheduled network in the Middle East and Central Asia as it looks to capitalise on rising demand.

The expansion sees the carrier operating two scheduled freighter flights a week between Baku Heydar Aliyev International Airport and Dammam King Fahd International Airport and Tashkent International Airport.

The carrier said that the two locations were “among the most important international air cargo gateways in their respective regions”.

Over the past decade, Silk Way West Airlines has served both destinations through charter services, shipping general cargo including textiles, cars, perishables and other goods.

“These new routes will also enable Silk Way West Airlines to meet its strategic goals of serving increased international demand and significantly expanding its global network,” the carrier said.

Silk Way West Airlines vice president CIS and Central Asia Vugar Mammadov said: “The demand for transportation to the Middle East and on the Middle Corridor route continues to rise. As a result, Azerbaijan is gaining increasing importance as a central logistics hub.

“We are pleased that now we can offer our customers regular flights from Baku to Dammam and Tashkent. We will continue to increase the number of flights we operate, as well as the destinations we serve, as Silk Way West Airlines continues to expand opportunities for its customers around the world.”

The carrier operates a fleet of 12 dedicated Boeing 747-8F and 747-400F aircraft and has ordered five B777 Freighters, two B777-8fs and two a350fs.