VOLGA-DNEPR ENSURES JAPANESE CONSUMERS

Volga-Dnepr, the world’s leading outsize and heavyweight cargo airline, once again played a pivotal role in ensuring Japanese consumers enjoyed the 2003 release of Beaujolais Nouveau.

The airline operate two Antonov 124-100 freighter flights from Shataru in France to Narita and Kansai airports in Japan, carrying more than 100 tonnes of Beaujolais Noveau wine in hundreds of individual packing cases. Due to the distance involved, the flights operated with three stops in Russia in Ulyanovsk, Novosibirsk and Komsomoiskna-Amure.

Moving Beaujolais Nouveau from Europe to Asia in time to reach customers on the official Beaujolais Day in the third week of November is one of the ultimate time definite delivery challenges for the air cargo industry. All shipments must be carried within strict time limits following the wine’s official release from vineyards and bottling plants in France.

This was the ninth year in succession that Volga-Dnepr has been chosen to help meet the huge consumer demand for Beaujolais Nouveau in Japan.

Under a strategic development plan, Volga-Dnepr is today an international group of companies with offices and subsidiaries all over the world, including the UK, USA, China, Ireland, and UAE.

Volga-Dnepr is the world’s leading outsize and heavyweight cargo airline and operates a fleet of nine AN-124-100s, two IL-76s and five Yak-40s. Today, the Group employs over 1300 people worldwide.