VOLGA-DNEPR GROUP SETS NEW GOALS

Volga-Dnepr Airlines has announced its new corporate Mission and Principal objective of the Volga-Dnepr Group and also short-, medium- and long-term objectives.

The Mission: To create reliable air services for our international partners. Using our unique capabilities to revolutionise the rationale of air cargo logistics. Attain our goal, while supporting the individual achievement of each employee that leads to success.

Principal Objective: Volga-Dnepr will be the leading company in the international outsized air cargo market. Volga-Dnepr will be ranked in the top 50 international air cargo operators.

Following its establishment in the early 1990s Volga-Dnepr's Mission was "To safeguard production of the unique Antonov An-124". The General Objective was "To demonstrate the economic efficiency of using the An-124 military aircraft in civil aviation and to ensure production orders for the aircraft".

Only the acknowledgement of international demand for An-124 cargo services and continuing production of this unique aircraft could serve as criteria for the fulfilment of these goals. By 1997 the Mission statement of 1990 had been achieved - An-124 production was assured. Aviastar, the An-124 manufacturer, and one of Russia's largest aircraft producers had preserved its production capacity and personnel. By 1997 a new sector of outsize and superheavy cargo had emerged on the air cargo market. The An-124 was both the creator and the workhorse in this segment. The airline's results in the international market proved that Volga-Dnepr had attained its principal objective.

In 1997 Volga-Dnepr developed new Mission Statement and Principal objective. From 1997 to 2001 the Mission was "To represent Russian cargo aviation on the international and domestic air transport market", and as a principal objective "Volga-Dnepr is to be the leading Russian cargo airline".

Volga-Dnepr's results in 2001 confirm that the airline has now reached its 1997 Principal objective and fulfilled its Mission. Today Volga-Dnepr is the recognised leader in Russian civil aviation. The airline's achievement was recognised by winning the Wings of Russia national aviation award for three consecutive years and by winning a further award from Air Transport World for "Development of Air Cargo Transportation". Providing an ongoing, reliable service for the world's leading corporations and international organisations, establishing a global sales network, recruiting an international team, membership of international aviation organisations and joining the United Nations Global Treaty - all these and much more prove that the Mission was accomplished.

The new Mission and Principal objective of Volga-Dnepr Group will both ensure its status as an international group servicing a world-wide client base and define new business development horizons.