The largest freighter operator in the Caspian region, flying dedicated Boeing 747-8F and 747-400F aircraft on the Zhengzhou, Shanghai and Hong Kong to Baku mainline and distributing from Baku to Europe, the CIS, the Middle East and North America. Chinese exporters get a freighter channel with heavy payloads and dense schedules.
Silk Way West Airlines (IATA 7L, ICAO AZG) is an Azerbaijan-based all-cargo carrier founded in Baku in 2012. Its main hub is Baku Heydar Aliyev International Airport (GYD) and its official website is silkwaywest.com. Part of Silk Way Group, the airline focuses on scheduled international freighter flights and charters and is the largest dedicated freighter operator in the Caspian region.
Silk Way Group also owns the passenger carrier Silk Way Airlines alongside the freighter operator Silk Way West Airlines, and the two coordinate at the Baku hub. Silk Way West Airlines concentrates on intercontinental freighter mainlines while Silk Way Airlines handles regional passenger flights and a small amount of combi work. The company has expanded its fleet continuously since launch, taking new Boeing 747-8Fs and adding Boeing 777Fs, and has become the dedicated freighter operator with the largest capacity and the widest route coverage on the Trans-Caspian corridor.
The current fleet consists of twelve Boeing 747-8F and 747-400F dedicated freighters, operating about 350 flights a month and carrying more than 420,000 tons of cargo and mail a year across more than forty points in Europe, the CIS, the Middle East, Central Asia and North America. The nose-loading door on the 747 takes outsize project items and standard PMC pallets, with payloads of up to 100 tons per flight, which suits cross-border e-commerce mainlines, complete vehicles and parts, aerospace hardware, pharmaceuticals and temperature-controlled cargo.
For Chinese shippers the core value is a stable dedicated freighter mainline from Zhengzhou, Shanghai Pudong and Hong Kong to Baku, where cargo is distributed along the Trans-Caspian corridor to Liege, Luxembourg, Madrid and Milan in Europe; Tashkent in Central Asia; Seoul and Tokyo in East Asia; and Chicago and Anchorage in North America. Compared with passenger belly space, freighters offer better schedule density, higher payload per flight, and far better handling of outsize and special cargo.
Silk Way West Airlines was among the first carriers to run freighter operations at scale on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route. It has a dedicated cargo terminal and stands at Baku Heydar Aliyev Airport with outsize loading platforms, a cold-chain storage area and a dangerous goods room, so pallet build-up, palletising, weighing and screening all happen in one place. The airline also runs transit nodes in Liege, Luxembourg and Tashkent for cross-region transhipment and depalletising. For Chinese cross-border e-commerce sellers, Zhengzhou to Liege and Zhengzhou to Milan have become established mainline products on the corridor and can absorb restocking peaks during seasonal promotions.
Silk Way West Airlines has no publicly listed office of its own in China. Contact its local Chinese agent, or let Goodhope Freight coordinate on your behalf. Chinese shippers can submit the booking request, cargo details and customs documents through Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited, which works with the airline's China sales agent and the Baku cargo sales centre to secure space, issue the air waybill and arrange ground handling. We also work continuously with local ground agents at Zhengzhou, Shanghai and Hong Kong for terminal handover, screening and build-up. Rates, schedules and space are subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking. We can recommend the best departure point and trucking plan based on your industrial base and destination country.
Years of working with the airline's China sales agent let us handle peak-season space top-ups, pallet position reservations, expedited approval for special cargo and destination agent coordination. For first-time shippers we walk through the booking form template, the customs document checklist and destination clearance requirements, and recommend Zhengzhou, Shanghai or Hong Kong as the departure point to balance transit time against cost.
The fleet is built around Boeing 747 dedicated freighters with a small number of Boeing 777F widebody freighters. The 747-8F is the newest four-engine widebody freighter, with a nose door that swings up for outsize and project equipment; the 747-400F is the classic four-engine freighter that takes pallets on both the main deck and the lower hold. Continuous deliveries and retirement of older airframes keep the fleet young and fuel-efficient.
| Aircraft type | Cargo mode | Main use | Fit with China sectors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 747-8F | Freighter | Main deck plus lower hold, nose cargo door, about 130 tons payload per flight | Workhorse on the China to Baku mainline |
| Boeing 747-400F | Freighter | Classic four-engine widebody freighter, standard pallets on the main deck | China to Europe and Central Asia sectors |
| Boeing 777F | Freighter | Twin-engine long-range widebody freighter, fuel efficient on long sectors | China to North America and long-haul Europe sectors |
A 747-8F main deck takes several dozen PMC pallets and the lower hold takes LD1/LD3 containers, which suits over-length and over-width pieces, construction vehicles, aerospace parts and bulk e-commerce cargo. With the nose door open, outsize items load straight through the forward main deck and escape the size limits of a side door.
The Boeing 777F is a twin-engine long-range widebody with better fuel efficiency than four-engine types on the Baku to North America and Europe sectors. The published schedule shows the 777F alongside the 747 family for flexible allocation of long-haul capacity. No narrowbody freighters are in the fleet; all China to Baku cargo flies on widebody freighters.
Scheduled freighter departures in China are concentrated at Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport (CGO), Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) and Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), with irregular operations recorded at Haikou Meilan (HAK). The published schedule shows Baku to Shanghai Pudong nonstop under flight 7L 35, Zhengzhou under flight numbers 7L 80, 7L 93 and 7L 1790, and Hong Kong via a Tashkent (TAS) sector.
| China cities | Airport code | Route | Schedule notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zhengzhou | CGO | Zhengzhou Xinzheng to and from Baku GYD (7L 80/93/1790) | Scheduled freighter, frequency increased in season, subject to carrier confirmation |
| Shanghai | PVG | Shanghai Pudong to and from Baku GYD (7L 35) | Scheduled nonstop freighter, with both weekend and midweek departures |
| Hong Kong | HKG | Hong Kong via Tashkent TAS to Baku GYD | Scheduled sector, frequency adjusted with the rotation plan |
| Haikou | HAK | Haikou Meilan to and from Baku GYD | Irregular and charter point, subject to confirmation on the day of booking |
Schedules above are in local time and change with season and rotation planning; the carrier's confirmation on the day of booking governs. Zhengzhou gains extra frequencies in peak season and is the airline's most stable freighter departure point in China; Shanghai and Hong Kong carry Yangtze Delta volumes and South China and transhipment volumes. Other Chinese gateways such as Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hangzhou have no scheduled freighter service of the airline's own, so cargo must be consolidated to the points above by truck or domestic flight.
Zhengzhou Xinzheng is a core node of the national air cargo pilot zone, with 747-8F capability and a dedicated terminal that handles large e-commerce and high-value manufacturing volumes. Shanghai Pudong is the Yangtze Delta's international air hub and suits electronics, auto parts and high-end manufacturing from East China. Hong Kong, a free port, suits South China transhipment and international transit. We can recommend the best departure point and trucking plan based on your industrial base and destination country.
From the Baku hub, cargo is distributed in four directions. The first is western and central Europe, covering Liege (LGG), Luxembourg (LUX), Amsterdam (AMS), Madrid (MAD) and Milan (MXP), which suits e-commerce restocking and European distribution of auto parts. The second is the CIS and Central Asia, covering Tashkent (TAS), Almaty and points in Russia.
The third is East and South Asia, covering Seoul Incheon (ICN), Tokyo Narita (NRT) and Dhaka (DAC) for regional transit and e-commerce distribution. The fourth is North America, via Luxembourg to Chicago (ORD) and Anchorage (ANC), which gives a freighter channel from China to the US East Coast and Midwest. The Middle East is served via Tel Aviv (TLV) and similar points, carrying direct volumes from China to Israel and neighbouring markets.
In Europe, Liege and Luxembourg are the airline's core distribution nodes: cargo arrives nonstop from Baku and reaches Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands within a day. In Central Asia, Tashkent is the fixed technical stop, so cargo from China can move through Baku and Tashkent to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and the wider Caspian and Central Asian hinterland.
For Chinese e-commerce sellers, Zhengzhou to Liege, Zhengzhou to Milan and Shanghai to Baku with onward European connection are the more mature freighter products on the Trans-Caspian corridor and suit high-value, heavy and palletised cargo. For shippers in automotive, machinery and new energy, freighter schedules are stable and payload per flight is large, which works for project cargo and concentrated seasonal shipments.
By commodity, the main categories carried on these freighters are consumer electronics and accessories, smartphones, laptops, smart home devices, complete vehicles and parts, new energy battery modules, industrial machinery, textiles, household goods and e-commerce parcels. Zhengzhou volumes are mostly electronics and e-commerce, Shanghai volumes mostly auto parts and high-end manufacturing, and Hong Kong volumes mostly re-export trade and high-value express.
First, freighter capacity is ample. A 747-8F carries about 130 tons per flight with two loading levels, an order of magnitude more volume and weight than passenger belly space. Second, transit on the Trans-Caspian corridor is stable. Baku sits at the Eurasian crossroads, so cargo can reach Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East within a day of the nonstop from China and bypass congestion peaks at the three big Gulf hubs. Third, outsize and special cargo fit. The nose door and wide main deck take construction vehicles, aerospace parts and over-length pipe.
Fourth, China frequencies are dense. Zhengzhou, Shanghai and Hong Kong run stable weekly frequencies and can add flights in peak season, which matches e-commerce restocking cycles. Fifth, cold chain and dangerous goods handling are established. The Baku terminal supports cold-chain transit and DG handling for pharmaceuticals, perishables and temperature-controlled shipments. Sixth, rates are relatively transparent. Published schedules and destination lists let shippers and forwarders cost a shipment in advance and avoid last-minute quote swings.
Seventh, corridor policy support. Azerbaijan is a key participant in the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route and maintains regular trade with China, and Baku airport policy on receiving and distributing Chinese export cargo is stable. Eighth, charters and extra sections are flexible. In peak season or during concentrated project shipments the airline can apply for extra sections or charters to meet demand.
The standard booking process through Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited runs as follows. Step one: the shipper submits a booking request stating the origin airport (CGO, PVG, HKG or another Chinese gateway after consolidation), the destination (GYD or a European, Central Asian or North American point reached via GYD), pieces, weight and dimensions, whether the nose door is required, temperature requirements and dangerous goods status. Step two: we check space, rate and cut-off with the airline's China sales agent and the Baku cargo sales centre.
Step three: once space is confirmed, the shipper delivers cargo to the nominated acceptance counter at the Zhengzhou, Shanghai or Hong Kong terminal for customs declaration, screening and palletising. Step four: after departure we send the air waybill number and tracking milestones, and on arrival in Baku the cargo is routed onward or held for direct connection. Step five: at destination the local agent handles pickup, depalletising and last-mile delivery. For outsize and project cargo we can arrange trucking and loading equipment.
For shippers with steady volumes we can help conclude an annual sales agreement that fixes a base rate and peak-season pallet allocations. Project cargo, seasonal promotion stock and exhibition freight can be quoted per shipment. The booking request should state the HS code, the importer of record for destination clearance, whether transit distribution and last-mile delivery are needed, and flag dangerous goods, batteries, magnetic items, powders and liquids separately so we can pre-clear carrier acceptance before booking and avoid rejection on arrival. For first-time shippers we walk through the booking form template, the customs document checklist and destination clearance requirements to lower the entry barrier.
The 747 freighter fleet carries general cargo, e-commerce shipments, complete vehicles and parts, aerospace hardware, project equipment, pharmaceuticals and temperature-controlled freight. Dangerous goods, live animals, valuables and outsize items must be declared to the carrier in advance and approved under IATA DGR and live animal rules. Published schedules show Boeing 777F routes in operation, further improving fuel efficiency on long sectors. Charters and wet leases can be requested through us for project cargo, concentrated seasonal shipments and sports equipment.
On the e-commerce side, the freighters carry large parcels, palletised freight and returns from China to Europe, with local clearance and last-mile delivery handled through European distribution centres such as Liege and Milan. For pharmaceuticals and temperature-controlled cargo the Baku terminal cold-chain equipment supports short-haul transit. For sports equipment, exhibition goods and temporary project equipment, charter options can be arranged around the shipping window.
For complete vehicles and new energy shippers, the 747-8F nose door takes knocked-down vehicles and battery modules, with local handover through European distribution nodes. For aerospace and precision equipment, freighter schedules are stable and the ride is smooth, which suits high-value instruments. We can recommend departure points and distribution plans based on your industry.
Silk Way West Airlines (7L/AZG) is an all-cargo carrier flying dedicated Boeing 747-8F and 747-400F aircraft and focused on international freight. Azerbaijan Airlines (J2/AHY) is the national flag passenger carrier and carries freight in the belly holds of its passenger aircraft. Both are based in Baku but differ in fleet type and product: Silk Way West takes heavy, full-pallet and outsize cargo, while Azerbaijan Airlines takes smaller belly consignments. Shippers can combine the two by volume and piece size.
Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport (CGO) is the airline's most stable scheduled freighter departure point in China. Shanghai Pudong (PVG) is served nonstop under flight 7L 35, Hong Kong (HKG) connects via a Tashkent sector, and Haikou Meilan (HAK) has irregular operations. Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hangzhou have no scheduled freighter service of the airline's own; consolidate cargo to the points above by truck or domestic flight before booking.
A 747-8F carries about 130 tons per flight. The main deck takes several dozen PMC pallets and the lower hold takes LD1/LD3 containers. The nose swings up for over-length and over-width pieces and construction vehicles. Actual payload depends on sector length, fuel load and cargo density, and the carrier's load plan on the day of booking governs.
E-commerce restocking, complete vehicles and parts, aerospace hardware, project equipment, pharmaceuticals and temperature-controlled freight, and high-value industrial goods in bulk. Dangerous goods, live animals, valuables and outsize items must be declared to the carrier in advance and are accepted after approval under the relevant IATA rules. For overweight or over-dimension pieces, state dimensions and weight in the booking request so we can check nose door compatibility first.
Shippers submit the booking request, commercial invoice, packing list and customs documents through Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited, which works with the airline's China sales agent and the Baku cargo sales centre to secure space, issue the air waybill and arrange ground handling. Cargo is delivered to the Zhengzhou, Shanghai or Hong Kong terminal as instructed; after departure we send the air waybill number and tracking milestones, and on arrival in Baku the cargo is routed onward with last-mile delivery. Rates, schedules and space are subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking.
Information here is compiled by Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited Times are local; schedules change with the season and are subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking. Website: https://goodhope86.com Email: info@goodhope86.com.
Trademark notice:The Silk Way West Airlines name, codes and marks belong to Silk Way West Airlines. Produced by Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited solely to describe freighter connections from China to Baku and along the Trans-Caspian corridor; it is not an official carrier quotation.