ANCA aims to block U.S. financing of Boeing cargo jet sale to Azerbaijan

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has launched a nationwide grassroots campaign urging the U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM) to reject a proposed $100 million financial guarantee for the sale of Boeing cargo aircraft to Azerbaijan’s Silk Way Airlines.

According to ANCA, this financing would enable the Aliyev regime to acquire dual-use aircraft, facilitating the illicit transportation of arms to Azerbaijan—a country widely condemned for its genocidal policies against the Armenian population of Artsakh and its ongoing aggression against the Republic of Armenia.

On January 10, 2025, EXIM announced that it had received Boeing’s application for a final commitment on a loan exceeding $100 million. Public comments on this proposal may be submitted until February 7, 2025, after which the EXIM Board of Directors will review and decide on the application.

ANCA’s online platform, www.anca.org/exim, offers an opportunity to take action against this deal.

According to the Armenian National Committee, providing such aircraft to Azerbaijan violates US law, including on the export of dual-use products, undermines regional peace efforts, and gives Azerbaijan an additional military advantage.

Silk Way Airlines, closely tied to the Aliyev regime, has been implicated in numerous investigations, including by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), for transporting illicit arms used in Azerbaijan’s assaults on Artsakh.

These acts, documented by Freedom House and other watchdog organizations, demonstrate Azerbaijan’s intent to systematically erase Armenian heritage and presence in the region.