Silk Way West Airlines and JAL Cargo have agreed to a cargo services cooperation to use capacity on each other’s aircraft.

The cooperation has been described as a “win-win situation” for both partners, as JAL Cargo stopped full freighter operations, the use of Silk Way West Airlines’ capacity on scheduled routes out of Europe via Baku into Japan and vice versa will create an “interesting option” for both carriers.

Silk Way will increase weekly connections out of its global hub in Baku from three to four times a weekly operations, and will boost its weekly operations between Baku and Europe offering sequenced connections to and from Japan.

Silk Way West Airlines president and chief executive officer, Wolfgang Meier says: “It perfectly fits into our growth strategy we are pursuing in reference to our footprint in Japan. Right from the start of our Japan services more than two years ago, we have always been eager to increase our exposure.

“The co-operation with JAL CARGO does represent a quantum leap in our development and I am happy both carriers will benefit from this agreement.”

JAL Cargo executive officer cargo/mail and board member, Hiroo Iwakoshi says: “Having these kind of positive communications is pleasing JAL CARGO and we welcome very much more capacities especially with the use of Silk Way West’s Boeing 747-8F aircraft within our network.”

Silk Way West Airlines vice president APAC, Nurid Aliyev says: “This co-operation is not the first one we do pursue in this format as we have already successfully been working together with Malaysia Airlines Cargo after they had stopped their full freighter activities.

“As our global hub is perfectly located along the ancient Silk Road our geographical position is at the crossroads between orient and occident and Silk Way West Airlines, thus, very much favours this partnership.”