Volga-Dnepr group carries 25pc more heavy air freight in 2008

RUSSIA's Volga-Dnepr Group, which owns outsize and heavyweight cargo carrier Volga-Dnepr Airlines and scheduled cargo airline AirBridgeCargo, has posted a 25 per cent increase in the volume of consolidated air freight transported in 2008 at 267,000 tons of cargo, compared to the year earlier, with freight ton kilometres rising 32 per cent year on year.

A statement from the group said it registered a 46 per cent increase in sales for 2008 from its charter and scheduled air cargo services to amount to US$1.4 billion.

According to these provisional results, the group is now rated 12th in the global ranking of air cargo carriers and is the largest Russian all-cargo airline group,the company release said.

It noted that over the last 12 months, the group continued its aircraft fleet improvement programme by taking delivery of two new Boeing 747-400ER freighters to replace older B747-200Fs in the AirBridgeCargo Airlines fleet; the company continued to operate two modernised IL-76TD-90VD freighters and provided funds for construction of another three airplanes of the same version to the Tashkent Aviation Factory under an agreement with the Russia United Aircraft Corporation; and negotiations commenced with OAK for an order for new An-124-100-150 aircraft.

To conclude, the release said 2008 saw Volga-Dnepr group consistently realising its development strategy based on the concept of offering a 'cargo supermarket' of all-cargo solutions. This combines the advantages of charter and scheduled air cargo operations and long-term relationships with key customers and partners worldwide.

Source: Schednet