Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 6
By Maksim Tsurkov - Trend:
The Baku Cargo Terminal will allow Azerbaijan to become a transshipment point for goods transported from America and Europe to Asia, from Asia to America and Europe, Zaur Akhundov, Silk Way Group president, said during the fourth Caspian Air Cargo Summit in Baku Oct. 6.
"This is an integral part of the Silk Road project," he said.
He added that the Baku cargo terminal has been operating for many years and rendering a full range of ground handling of cargo aircraft and air cargo flows.
At the same time, he said that there have been recently certain difficulties with air cargo transportation.
"The economic recession in many countries, including Russia and Central Asia, affected the real decline in cargo transportation volumes," he said. "The reduction of tariffs, tough competition, the constant rise in the cost of services and equipment is not a temporary phenomenon, but a common situation where one must seek the ways and measures to overcome it. However, during this difficult period, we must continue developing our business concepts and strategies to reduce costs."
"The global competition growth will also show the winner and the loser in the fight for success and leadership on the market," he said. "The aviation is being developed in Azerbaijan. The opening of the new terminal of the Heydar Aliyev International Airport contributed to the transformation of Baku into a logistics center and increased the strategic importance in the global perspective."
He said that in such circumstances Silk Way Group prefers fleet modernization.
"Our company is one of the leading cargo carriers in the region and the CIS countries," he said. "We are proud of high quality of services that we have achieved. As part of improving their quality Silk Way Airlines and Boeing signed a memorandum for the purchase of five modern Boeing 747-8 cargo aircraft. Three aircraft have been already brought and are successfully operating. Two more Boeing 747-8 aircraft will be brought in 2016. The purchase of Boeing 747-8 cargo aircraft is a significant event for the developing Azerbaijani aviation. In the future, the number of such aircraft will increase."
Edited by CN
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