Macau International Airport names Volga-Dnepr

Moscow (Russia), March 2005: In its annual awards ceremony for airlines and partners, Macau International Airport Company has named Volga-Dnepr Airlines as ‘Best cargo charter airline of 2004’.

Volga-Dnepr Group, the world’s leading heavyweight and outsized air cargo carrier, operated 52 flights to the airport in 2004 with its fleet of AN-124 and Boeing 747-200 freighters.

Igor Gabov, general representative of the Group in China, said: “China is a very important and growing market for our business. We are developing a long-term relationships with Macau airport and that is why we greatly appreciate this award.”

Other category awards by the airport went to TransAsia Airways, Air Macau, MK Airlines, EVA AIR and Shanghai Airlines.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the international airport of Macau, Mr. Deng Jun, thanked everybody for their support during 2004 and said that he hopes to continue the successful collaboration between the airline and its customers and partners in the future.

This is the first time Volga-Dnepr has won an aviation industry award in China, building on its successful achievements and recognition in other major world markets. Volga-Dnepr Group won the prestigious ‘Russian Wings’ national award for three consecutive years between 1997-1999 as the best cargo airline on ‘internal and international routes’. In February 2001, Volga-Dnepr Group was the first Russian airline to win Air Transport World magazine’s award for the ‘Development of cargo transportation’ and in April 2003, the Group was the winner of AirFinance Journal magazine’s ‘agreement of the year in Western Europe’ award for signing a finance agreement with IFC. In March 2004, Volga-Dnepr Group was awarded one of the most prestigious awards in world aviation; the Flight Aerospace Industry Award for ‘Corporate Strategy’.