Freight comes to Farnborough: Silkway opts for an AN-124 and Boeing lands conversion orders

On the flight deck in a Volga-Dnepr AN-124

So the Farnborough Airshow – soggy, wet, noisy and busy, with an unmistakeable odour of aircraft fuel –  continues. And, amid all the freight-irrelevant orders for narrowbodies and fighter jets, comes some cargo news. Interestingly, Azerbaijan’s Silkway, the world’s fastest-growing cargo carrier, is eyeing a greater fleet range. It has signed a contract with Ilyushin Finance Co and UAC for an AN-124-100, from Ruslan, in a deal which is expected to close in 30 days. The airline said it would be used for Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the oil and gas business. Silkway could well become a nasty thorn in Volga-Dnepr’s side at this rate.

And there was more. Boeing revealed the names of three customers who have ordered conversions. Two 737-800BCFs apiece will go to Bulgaria’s Cargo Air and Colombia’s Lineas Aéreas Suramericanas, while Air Algérie has already committed to two. Another, unidentified, customer has ordered four of the integrator and Amazon favourite – the 767BCF – bringing Boeing up to 22 firm orders for the type.