Silk Way's first 747-8F gets ready to fly

[YS11]

Less than a year after Silk Way Airlines of Azerbaijan placed an order for two 747-8Fs, the first of these aircraft has been rolled out of the factory in the carrier's full livery.
The Baku-based carrier is divided into two parts - Silk Way Airlines (IATA: ZP) and Silk Way West Airlines (IATA: 7L). Silk Way Airlines began operations in 2001 and flies a fleet of primarily Russian types - 11 IL-76s augmented by An-12s and, for a time, the 747-400F - the first of which was purchased from Cargolux in 2010. A second former Cargolux 747-400F joined the fleet in 2011, and third in 2012.
Silk Way's expansion goals mirror those of the Azerbaijan Government's: to make geographically-well-placed Baku (and Azerbaijan itself) more of a hub for international trade.
Taking full advantage of Azerbaijan's central location, Silk Way's network extends from London Stansted to Shanghai Pudong, with many destinations in between including Dhaka, Hong Kong, Bishek, Almaty Dehli, Dubai, Kiev, Istanbul, Tblisi, Milan, and Frankfurt. Routes have not yet been announced for the 747-8F, though presumably they would be first deployed on longer sectors to China, and possibly used for expansion into North America.
Source: CargoFacts