Russia’s Ilyushin Finance Co. (IFC, Chalet A4) will lease one Antonov An-124-100 Ruslan superheavy ramp freighter to Azerbaijan’s Silk Way Airline under the agreement signed on Farnborough’s opening day, June 11. Silk Way president Zaur Akhundov and IFC general manager Alexander Roubtsov signed the contract, with United Aircraft (UAC) president Yuri Slyusar and Azerbaijan’s national carrier president Jahangir Asgarov in attendance. The agreement specifies the main terms of a future contract that the sides are going to sign within a month.

This new acquisition will considerably boost the capability of the Baku-based airline in super-heavy and oversized cargo market. Silk Way operates a fleet of seven Ilyushin Il-76s—including some retrofitted with PS-90A76 turbofans.

Farnborough visitors can see a Ruslan on display at the Cargo Village (near Gate F) in the colors of Russian airline Volga-Dnepr, the largest commercial operator of the type. The operator had previously acquired several ex-Polet airframes. During the show, the Volga-Dnepr team demonstrates loading and unloading operations using a Marshal Expendable Shelter module—effectively an air-transportable hospital which is used for Humanitarian Aid and Peacekeeping Operations.