Silk Way Airlines (ZP, Baku Heydar Aliev International) has signed a firm order agreement with Boeing (BOE, Washington National) for ten B737-8s. An Azeri government statement issued on Friday, April 14, said the deal was actually reached during the summer of 2016 during the Farnborough International Airshow. As such, the first two aircraft will be delivered by the end of 2018 with the remainder to arrive through late 2020.

“The success and effectiveness of Silk Way is the direct result of investments in the air fleet and services, as well as the expansion of the regional and international presence of the company,” Zaur Akhundov, President, Silk Way Group of Companies, said. “I am convinced that we will maintain our growth rates with the help of ten new Boeing 737 MAX 8s."

The Silk Way Group consists of twenty-three separate companies all of which operate in aviation and other related industries. At present, its Silk Way West Airlines (7L, Baku Heydar Aliev International) unit specializes in freight services operating two B747-400(F)(SCD)s and five B747-8(F)s. The MAX order thus suggests Silk Way now intends to make a concerted push into the passenger services sector.