History

The constituent conference of the Volga-Dnepr Company takes place. Alexey Isaikin has been elected Chairman of the Board of the newly created airline. The main shareholders of the company are:

-OAO Aviastar, a major aircraft-maker in Russia, manufacturer of the aircraft that are the mainstay of the Volga-Dnepr fleet — An-124-100 Ruslan freighter and passenger Tu-204 airliner;
-ZMKB Progress Design Bureau, Zaporozhye, Ukraine, aircraft engine manufacturer;
-Antonov Aeronautical Scientific Technical Complex, Kiev, Ukraine, designer of various aircraft types;
-AO Aviant, Kiev, Ukraine — Aircraft Manufacturing Plant.

The Volga-Dnepr joint stock company was registered in Ulyanovsk, Russia, with the registration number 1.

The first IL-76 aircraft was delivered to the airline; in August — the first An-124 Ruslan aircraft.

On September 17, together with the British Heavy-Lift Cargo Airlines, Volga-Dnepr Airlines incorporates the Joint Venture HeavyLift-VolgaDnepr, established to promote unique An-124-100 Ruslan capabilities on the international market. The joint venture is headquartered at the London-based Stansted airport.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines evacuates American Embassy property from Zaire overwhelmed in conflict within just three flights.

Volga-Dnepr was registered with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the VDA code was issued to the company.

Soviet Union collapse did not affect the airline’s strategic idea. One can say for sure that Volga-Dnepr’s establishment, endeavors of its management and a long-term experience focused on the unique An-124 aircraft operations, allowed the airline to make the Ruslan aircraft from a technological breakthrough into a serious factor of the Russian and world cargo aviation development.

Volga-Dnepr commences international operations under its own flag. The first international flight was made from the base airport Ulyanovsk-Vostochny en-route Ulyanovsk — Sofia.

The first transportation of a unique cargo was performed which required special handling and use of loading equipment. Two gas turbines each weighing 40 tons were delivered by Ruslan from Ostend (Belgium) to Rio-Gallegos (Argentina). The handling equipment was designed by the department of Technical Director and manufactured at Aviastar aircraft manufacturing plant (Ulyanovsk).

Volga-Dnepr joins the International Air Transport Association (IATA) as its associated member.

An-124 of Volga-Dnepr Airlines delivered from Abu Dhabi (UAE) to Zurich (Switzerland) 52 tons of gold. The cargo cost was GBP230 mln.

• Volga-Dnepr is the first Russian cargo airline to become member of the International Air Cargo Association (TIACA), which is a non-profit industry organization bringing together companies involved in the air freight business.
• The airline obtains over 70 licenses to charter flights in different parts of the world. According to the Decree by the Russian Government, Volga-Dnepr becomes designated air carrier between the USA and Russia, China and Russia.
• Volga-Dnepr Airlines acting in compliance with the US aviation authorities commenced transportation of unique and oversize cargo within the US territory.

A cooperation agreement has been signed with the leading Japanese trade company Mitsui, whereby Mitsui represents Volga-Dnepr on the Japanese market. The Company establishes its Motor Trucking Department to provide door-to-door deliveries to its customers.

• Volga-Dnepr Airlines has been officially registered in the UN register. October. Volga-Dnepr received authorization from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to scheduled flights between the USA and Russia.

• Volga-Dnepr obtains and renews licenses to fly under its own flag in more than 110 countries. The company commences operations under its own flag to Italy, Israel, Hong Kong, and other countries.
• Alexey Isaikin, President of the Airline, was declared Man of the Year in the category Entrepreneurs and Financiers in accordance with the expert commission findings of the Russian Biographical Institute and the Who is Who newspaper.

The Volga-Dnepr maintenance base has been certified by the Department of Air Transport to perform the entire range of maintenance services for An-124-100, Il-76, An-12, and An-32. The Volga-Dnepr maintenance facility has become second in Russia after the Sheremetyevo international complex to obtain such rights.

Volga-Dnepr conducts the First Aircraft Performance Conference on An-124-100 aircraft. During the conference, Volga-Dnepr called on the aircraft operators, designers and manufacturers to bring their efforts together in order to develop and implement programs to improve the An-124-100 aircraft.

• The Russian Transportation Ministry Air Transport Department acting in accordance with the Russian-Chinese intergovernmental agreement issues certificates to Volga-Dnepr Airlines for scheduled flights en-route Ulyanovsk-Tientsin, Ulyanovsk-Shenzhen on An-124-100 and IL-76 aircraft, and Ulyanovsk-Dalian, Ulyanovsk-Shenzhen on IL-76. Volga-Dnepr receives the customs carrier certificate within the Russian territory becoming the first Russian airline enjoying such a status.
• «Волга-Днепр» получает свидетельство таможенного перевозчика на территории России, став первой российской авиакомпанией, имеющей такой статус.

NIC insurance company has been established to provide reliable insurance coverage of airline’s risks. Volga-Dnepr is the major founder (99% of the nominal capital).

An-124 of Volga-Dnepr Airlines delivered from Atlanta (USA) to Vladivostok a production modular line for Coca-Cola weighing 81 tons total. This dispatch was justly called Factory by Air.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines wins the British Petroleum tender to deliver oil equipment to Columbia. At the end of the month the first bulk traffic in the world has been commenced to transport oversize and heavy cargo to the El Yopal mountain airfield. Within two months the airline performed 53 flights and delivered 3,750 tons of cargo. Execution of this program took a number of years.

The first foreign line maintenance station has been set up in Sharjah Airport, UAE. Volga-Dnepr has been certified to perform maintenance services for An-12 and Il-76.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines is the official carrier for Master Rally-97 Paris — Beijing.

November. Volga-Dnepr commences scheduled Ulyanovsk-Moscow flights (Vnukovo Airport) on YaK-40 aircraft.

A line maintenance station has been certified in Shannon, Ireland, to service An-124-100 aircraft.

By order of George Lucas, legendary author of Was Stars, Volga-Dnepr Airlines delivered from London 100 tons of equipment, including a spaceship model, within one flight.

• The Association of Cargo Airlines (AGAK) has been established upon the Volga-Dnepr initiative.
• Volga-Dnepr was awarded an honor diploma by the International Flight Safety Foundation for its over five years of accident-free work.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines breaks the record in commercial cargo transportation: it delivers from Paris to Doha (Qatar) a unique 125-ton chemical reactor, the total cargo weight including its handling equipment was 140 tons.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines wins the national prize Wings of Russia — 97 in the category Domestic and International Cargo Carrier.

Volga-Dnepr initiates the establishment of a TIACA subdivision for Russia and the CIS countries. Alexey Isaikin, General Director of Volga-Dnepr Airlines is elected TIACA Chairman for Russia and the CIS countries.

The Federal Aviation Authorities of Russia appoint Volga-Dnepr leading aviation enterprise operating An-124-100 Ruslan. Therefore, Volga-Dnepr became a leader bringing together efforts of the Russian operators and manufacturers of freighters and their parts to implement the Ruslan upgrading program.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines wins the national prize Wings of Russia −98 in the category Domestic and International Cargo Carrier for the second time.

The first flight within the long-term cooperation program of Volga-Dnepr and Lockheed Martin (Number Two in global airspace industry after Boeing) was performed. The program provides for transportation of space launch vehicles and parts to perform commercial space launch of satellites into the orbit.

An investment loan in the amount of $6 mln has been received from the Russian Sberbank for financing completion of a new An-124-100 Ruslan aircraft.

The company breaks the record in flight hours. For the first time over the airline’s 9-year business, the monthly flight time by An-124-100 Ruslan exceeded 1,200 hrs.

The Volga-Dnepr Airlines wins the national prize Wings of Russia-99 in the category Domestic and International Cargo Carrier for the third time.

An-124-100 of Volga-Dnepr Airlines performed a historical direct flight with the gear down from Gander airport, Canada, and landed successfully at the Ulyanovsk-Vostochny airport. Within 9 hours and 45 minutes the aircraft crossed 6,754 km.

The Russian Sberbank and Volga-Dnepr Airlines signed a deal for opening a credit line by the airline in the amount of $10 mln for the duration of 4.5 years. The loan by Sberbank will be used to purchase another An-124-100 Ruslan and upgrade the Volga-Dnepr aircraft fleet.

• To establish the own global sales network Volga-Dnepr Airlines opens subsidiaries on either hand of the Atlantic ocean: Volga-Dnepr Unique Air Cargo, Inc. in Houston (USA) and Volga-Dnepr UK Ltd. in Stansted (United Kingdom).
• As at the end of 2000, the Volga-Dnepr aircraft have made over 70 flights to deliver equipment and gear for the UN peacekeepers across the globe, thus becoming the largest Russian supplier of transportation services for this organization.

• Beginning February 1, the joint Russian-British venture HeavyLift-VolgaDnepr LTD established on September 17, 1991 to represent the outstanding An-124-100 freighter on the international market, terminates its operations. The main reason behind the decision by Volga-Dnepr to terminate the joint venture was the inability with this type of organization to attract sizable investment to further expand the An-124-100 fleet and increase the legal and financial liability regarding its customers.
• Volga-Dnepr is awarded a prize by the American Air Transport World magazine in the category Air Cargo Service Development. This award was granted to the Russian airline for the first time ever.

The Volga-Dnepr IL-76TD aircraft delivered a humanitarian cargo to Afghanistan. This humanitarian mission has been implemented as a good will gesture by the Government of Japan, which sponsored acquisition of the needed equipment.

The airline has been inspected by the ICAO expert commission as part of the complex inspection of the Russian civil aviation to check its compliance with the requirements by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Chicago Convention. Volga-Dnepr got all positive feedback, and a number of the own solutions have been recommended for use as basic standards for other Russian airlines.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines received the Aerospace Laurels-2002 prize awarded by the prestigious American Aviation Week & Space Technology weekly in the category Commercial Air Transport.

On May 22 Ruslan aircraft delivered from Hamburg to Moscow 105 tons of equipment for an exclusive concert of Sir Paul McCartney at the Red Square. The shipment included 8 huge screens placed into special containers. On May 25 the airline dispatched the same cargo into Dublin, Ireland.

• The Volga-Dnepr International Group of Companies won the Grand Prix of the national award For Success in HR Management.
• At the world biggest Le Burge air show (France) Volga-Dnepr presented its program implemented together with Ilyushin Aviation Complex to upgrade the IL-76 aircraft performing 90% of all emergency cargo services in the world. The engines and avionics replacement resulted in a significant improvement of the aircraft performance to meet the ICAO requirements. This modification has been called IL-76TD-90VD (VD at the end means Volga-Dnepr).
• A decision has been made within the framework of the program to introduce the Volga-Dnepr Group of Companies on the international market of scheduled cargo operations to launch the project Scheduled Cargo Service. An international team was built headed by Stanley Wright, Project Managing Director, in June, and Peter Yup, Sales and Marketing Director for Asia and the Pacific, in October. Two Boeing-747-200 freighters have been purchased from Alitalia airlines. The new airline was established as part of the scheduled cargo project and was named Air Bridge Cargo.

To implement the IL-76 upgrade program successfully which gained the national status by the Rasaviacosmos decision, Volga-Dnepr established an affiliate Volga-Dnepr-Leasing. The manufacture of the first two modified IL-76TD-90VD aircraft ordered by the airline at the Tashkent aircraft manufacturing plant got its first tranche.

The Ulyanovsk-based Aviastar-SP aircraft manufacturing plant completes construction of a new super-heavy An-124-100 Ruslan aircraft for the Volga-Dnepr Group of Companies. The new Ruslan is an anniversary one for Volga-Dnepr, being the 10th in the airline’s fleet. The construction of a new An-124 version was financed by the Volga-Dnepr Group of Companies through the IFC loan and the own company funds.

On April 23 operated by Vladimir Grebennikov, one of the most experienced pilots of the airline and holder of the Nesterov medal, Boeing 747-200 made its first flight under the Volga-Dnepr call sign en-route Moscow — Beijing. AirBridgeCargo flight history has began.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines and the Krasnoyarsk district administration have entered into agreement to establish a multi-modal logistic transportation hub on the basis of the Krasnoyarsk airport.

Volga-Dnepr airlines obtained an official certificate of membership in the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which finalized the Volga-Dnepr accession to this organization.

Over 1,300 tons of humanitarian aid commissioned by UN and the International Red Cross have been delivered to the areas in Southeast Asia that have been hit hard by tsunami resulted in death of over 150 thousand people.

Transportation of Sony PlayStation-2, which took 14 weeks, has been completed, and became one of the largest logistics programs in the history of commercial freight aviation March. Volga-Dnepr has become the Airline of the Year for the fourth time winning the national prize Wings of Russia −04 in the category Domestic and International Cargo Carrier.

The joint Russian-Ukrainian meeting approved the business plan to restore serial production and phased-in upgrading of An-124-100 aircraft at the enterprises in Russia and Ukraine.

На должность генерального директора ЗАО «Авиакомпания «Волга-Днепр» утвержден Геннадий Александрович Пивоваров.

The ISO 9000:2001 compliance certificate was received from IQNet August. An-124-150M and Il-76TD-90VD are revealed to the public for the first time ever during MAKS-2005 air show. A number of important documents have been signed, too. The opening ceremony for the elementary author school named Istochnik founded by the Volga-Dnepr airlines has been held.

Volga-Dnepr made several flights to deliver humanitarian aid to the victims of Katrina hurricane, which slammed the southeastern US coast at the end of August.

Nippon Cargo Airlines and AirBridge Cargo airlines signed a cooperation agreement.

The IL-76TD-90VD aircraft received a local noise certificate saying that the standard aircraft design complies with requirements of ICAO Chapter 4, Appendix 16 February. Volga-Dnepr Gulf employees in the United Arab Emirates raised some charity to set up the orthodox Saint Nicholas chapel in Sharjah.

The inauguration ceremony for the cargo service project involving the EU and NATO countries in connection with the official SALIS start-up was held at the Leipzig-Halle airport, Germany. The tender resulted in An-124-100 to be chosen as a freighter offered by Ruslan SALIS GmbH, a joint venture of the Volga-Dnepr Group of Companies and Antonov Aeronautical Scientific Technical Complex.

The first acceptance flight of the modified IL-76TD-90VD was successfully performed in Ulyanovsk. The aircraft arrived in Ulyanovsk on May 6 from Tashkent where the ceremony was held with the presence of Dmitry Medvedev, first Prime Minister of Russia. The new aircraft meets all the ICAO requirements.

• The upgraded IL-76TD-90VD performed its first commercial flight en-route Kuwait — Bombay (India) — Utapao (India) — Taipei (Taiwan) — Sendai (Japan). Introduction into commercial operation of IL-76TD-90VD accomplished a three-year work of the aircraft modernization and manufacture.
• AirBridgeCargo increased the IL-76 flight frequency to the Sakhalin Island up to twice a week and opened its representative office there. The establishment of the second flight from Krasnoyarsk to Sakhalin is to meet the growing demand for the delivery of oil&gas equipment for the regional companies.

• In Krasnoyarsk the first stone was laid into the foundation of a new cargo hub within the Emelyanovo airport. The following partners involved in the first Russian hub project took part in the ceremony: the Krasnoyarsk district administration, AirBridgeCargo (the cargo carrier to be based at the hub), KrasAir, and the world storehouse operator SWISSPORT. Introduction into commercial service of a new hub is estimated for 2007.
• Within the Volga-Dnepr Airlines and Antonov Airlines participation, a joint Russian-Ukrainian project Ruslan International has been launched. The common logistic center of cargo operations was set up to act as a marketing agent of both operators. A joint utilization of both airlines’ slots will allow them to provide their customers with the extended range of services in aviation logistics.

Boeing 747 of AirBridgeCargo airline transported Madonna’s equipment from Moscow to Japan for her world Confessions Tour concert there. An exclusive show in Russia took place on September 12 at the Moscow Luzhniki stadium. The shipment was 193 tons total.

• On October 18 AirBridgeCargo obtained its operator certificate allowing operation of Boeing 747s and the own air services. AirBridgeCargo is the first Russian airline to provide schedule air cargo services en-route Europe — Russia — Asia. AirBridgeCargo flights under its own call sign were commenced in May 2004.
• The nine months of 2006 resulted in Volga-Dnepr’s becoming carrier Number One on the Russian market. Within these nine months the airline has carried over 95 thousand tons of cargo across the world which is 1.6 times more than a year before.
• In Leipzig (Germany) within the Ruslan SALIS project Volga-Dnepr Group launched the maintenance base for the Russian-manufactured equipment.

• Volga-Dnepr group and Motor Sich Airlines have declared the establishment of their joint venture Cargo Aircraft Managing Company. The Managing Company was assigned with the supervision and leadership activities within the project to relaunch the An-124-100 aircraft serial manufacture.
• Volga-Dnepr Group has acted as sponsor of the 80-anniversary of Yury Grigorovich concert, an outstanding Russian choreographer and ballet-master. The event took place on January 28 at Covent Garden, London.

• Volga-Dnepr Group and the Boeing Company execute a purchase contract for five brand-new long-range Boeing 747-8 Freighters. The contract grants Volga-Dnepr right to purchase five more linters of this type.
• Volga-Dnepr Airlines has become winner of the national aviation prize Wings of Russia −06 in the category Domestic and International Cargo Carrier. It is the fifth award running gained by Volga-Dnepr Group in this upmarket contest.

Ruslan aircraft delivered to the Guatemala capital an artificial-ice skating rink including the auxiliary equipment used during the Sochi-2014 presentation. It is a general fact that an amazing ice show prior to voting of the International Olympic Committee was to a much extent a contribution to the Russia’s triumph.

• At the VIII International Aviation and Space Salon MAKS-2007 Volga-Dnepr Group, Motor Sich Airlines and Antonov Design Bureau announced the completion of the first stage of Ruslan aircraft upgrade and its An-124-100M-150 model certification, and signed the agreement to relaunch the serial production and modification of this unique aircraft fleet.
• Within MAKS-2007 Volga-Dnepr signed a firm contract with Ilyushin Interstate aircraft manufacturing company for the production and delivery of three IL-76TD-90VDs. This order was the first firm contract for freighters executed by the United Aircraft Corporation. September. A ceremonial transfer of the second upgraded IL-76TD-90VD to Volga-Dnepr Airlines took place.

• Volga-Dnepr Airlines obtains IOSA certificate verifying the airline’s compliance with the flight safety standards. Volga-Dnepr was the first cargo airline in Russia and the CIS and the second one in the world to pass the IOSA audit to meet the IATA new standards.
• AirBridgeCargo received its first Boeing 747-400 ERF to become the first cargo airline in Russia to operate this aircraft type.
• By results of 2007 Volga-Dnepr Group entered Top Three on the Russian market of air traffic volume.
• The group sales volume became 51% higher as compared to 2006 thus making $1054 mln. Thereat charter sales volume grew by 62%, and ABC growth was 32%.
• The Group business units have carried 212.9 thousand tons of cargo across the world thus making 41% growth. The net profit was US$50 mln.

• Volga-Dnepr Airlines and KrasAir established a new cargo terminal within the Krasnoyarsk Emelyanovo airport. It is planned to set up the first international hub in Russia on the basis of the cargo terminal. AirBridgeCargo is a major operator of the new terminal.
• AirBridgeCargo accepted delivery of the second Boeing 747-400ERF. The new aircraft will be operated on ABC current routes as leased from GE Commercial Aviation Services. March. Volga-Dnepr Airlines has been awarded with the Wings of Russia prize for the six time running.

AirBridgeCargo received from the Boeing Company the third B747-400ERF. Its delivery completed the first stage of ABC fleet modernization program involving the purchase of new aircraft and removal from service of the first two Boeing 747-200s, the oldest aircraft in the fleet.

• AirBridgeCargo delivered 160 tons of humanitarian aid for victims of cyclone in Myanmar and earthquake in South-West China.
• Volga-Dnepr Group and Cubana de Aviacion and AeroVaradero agreed to establish the joint team to analyze the feasibility of creating a cargo air hub on the basis of the Havana airport Hose Marti.

• Within the XII Saint Petersburg Economic Forum, Volga-Dnepr Group and the Ulyanovsk district administration signed a strategic partnership agreement. The parties agreed of the joint activities to implement the Group investment project in Ulyanovsk including the Special Economic Port Area. The parties’ endeavors resulted in the establishment of a modern operational maintenance, repair and upgrade base for Russian and foreign-manufactured aircraft.
• Within the XII Saint Petersburg Economic Forum, Volga-Dnepr Group and the Krasnoyarsk district administration signed a cooperation agreement to establish the Krasnoyarsk international air hub and the Special Economic Port Area as its part.
• AirBridgeCargo received from the Ministry of Transport of Canada the foreign operator certificate verifying the airline’s compliance with the flight safety requirements and allowing it to obtain commercial rights to perform flights to Canada. July.

An-124-100 delivered from Kaliningrad to Ulan-Ude two submarines Mir-1 and Mir-2 for the Baikal expedition involving the first diving ever onto the bottom of the world deepest lake in its history.

Boeing 747 of AirBridgeCargo delivered to Moscow a 60-ton equipment for the world-known Iron Maiden rock group concert to take place in the capital of Russia for the first time after a 15-year break on August 19, 2008 within their world tour.

The focus of the group major business units — Volga-Dnepr Airlines and AirBridgeCargo — on the achievement of those operational figures that are stipulated by the Group approved strategy, resulted in some new appointments of top management. Valery Gabriel is appointed Executive President, Volga-Dnepr Airlines; Gennady Pivovarov occupies position of Executive President, AirBridgeCargo; Tatyana Arslanova is appointed Senior Vice President for Strategy, Marketing and Sales, AirBridgeCargo.

• According to the annual Expert magazine rating, Volga-Dnepr Group entered Top Three of the Russian largest aviation enterprises for sales volume, and Top Two in growth rates.
• >On 14 October, Volga-Dnepr delivered twelve cable reels from Stockholm, Sweden to Campinas, Brazil. The 100-tonnes consignment was carried onboard an Antonov 124-100 aircraft. Reels were loaded using the aircraft’s overhead cranes without any special tooling.

• Volga-Dnepr’s IL-76TD-90VD carried three white whales from Vladivostok, Russia to Tokyo’s Narita Airport, Japan.
• The Fifth Ocean, a corporate publication of Volga-Dnepr Group, was named among the best corporate publications by “The Best Corporate Publications of Russia 2007-2008” digest.
• On 3 November, a Sukhoi Superjet 3 aircraft flew from Komsomolsk-on-Amur to Novosibirsk, Russia for fatigue testing onboard Volga-Dnepr’s AN-124-100. SSJ-100 fuselage, wings and tail unit were loaded using AN-124-100 special loading equipment and later put together at the destination.
• A 112-tonnes power plant rotor was delivered onboard AN-124-100 from Leipzig, Germany to Shanghai, China.
• Volga-Dnepr Group was nominated for the prestigious People Investor 2008 Award.

• On 4 December, Volga-Dnepr’s Antonov 124-100 delivered a rotor wheel from Saint Petersburg, Russia to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan for the Kambaratinsk HPP-2 hydroelectric power plant. Volga-Dnepr’s newly developed proprietary tooling and technology were used to carry the superheavy shipment totaling 98 tonnes, having height of 3.5 m and diameter of 6.25 m, in a ’suspended’ condition inside the cargo cabin. It took two months to manufacture the unique loading complex at Ulyanovsk factories.
• As part of the Sakhalin-2 project, diving equipment intended to ensure uninterrupted offshore oil and gas production operations was delivered from East Midlands, UK to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia. The 25-tonnes shipment was carried by the IL-76TD-90VD aircraft.
• IL-76TD-90VD transported thirteen magnets totaling 140 tonnes in a series of eight flights. Superconducting electromagnets were produced at Novosibirsk Institute of Nuclear Physics for use in medical hardware for non-surgical treatment of oncological diseases, as well as scientific research.
• Volga-Dnepr Group performance in 2008 showed sales of USD1,615.65 million and tonnage carried of 267,000 tonnes, a 55% and 25% increase respectively compared to 2007. The Group managed to achieve this sustainable growth thanks to the effective combination of its two core businesses — charter transportation of outsize and heavy cargo by Antonov 124 and Ilyushin 76 fleet of Volga-Dnepr Airlines, and Boeing 747F scheduled services of AirBridgeCargo Airlines.

On 12 January, Alexey Isaikin took the post of Executive President of AirBridgeCargo Airlines.

Lake Baikal Preservation Foundation expressed its deepest gratitude to Volga-Dnepr Airlines for the company’s contribution to the Baikal expedition of MIR submarines.

Equipment was delivered for Corumba III hydroelectric power plant construction project in Brazil. A synergy of two aircraft types, AN-124-100 and B747, was used in this transportation as 120 tonnes of cargo had to be carried to Brazil. AN-124-100 lifted 70 tonnes, namely a 29-tonnes rotor and other outsize hydro turbine equipment, from Ulyanovsk.

The first stage of Volga-Dnepr Corporate University project was successfully implemented. The initial Corporate University workshop held on 12 January practically gave the green light for pilot testing of this initiative. The CU trial phase will continue until December 2009.

As part of organizational optimization steps, Valery Gabriel was appointed Executive President of Volga-Dnepr Airlines. Sergey Dyachkov became Executive Senior Vice President, Operations.

On 15 March, mining equipment for development of diamond deposits was delivered from Calgary, Canada to Archangelsk, Russia onboard AN-124-100. The flight was operated for FORACO SAS, a worldwide drilling service provider. The weight of the shipment (compressors, generators, machinery, measuring equipment) totalled 94 tonnes.

A tunnel drilling machine and supporting equipment weighing 188 tonnes destined for construction of Winter Olympic Games 2014 transport infrastructure projects was delivered from Novosibirsk to Sochi, Russia onboard Volga-Dnepr’s AN-124-100 in two flights.
The first consignment arrived in Sochi on 11 March, and the second — on 13 March. The flight was operated for Bamtonnelstroy construction company, a tunnel contractor for Russian Railways.

Volga-Dnepr provided its services to support the first visit of Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Africa on 17-23 March. Throughout the Pontiff’s trip on the African continent, his four-tonnes armoured Mercedes was carried onboard the IL-76TD-90VD.

The Minister of Industry and Commerce of the Russian Federation Victor Khristenko paid a visit to Ulyanovsk to see the Antonov 124-100 aircraft of Volga-Dnepr Airlines. Victor Khristenko was shown the final assembly shop of Aviastar aircraft factory. The President of Volga-Dnepr Group Alexey Isaikin gave a presentation of Antonov 124 Resumed Series Production Project to the high guest inside the aircraft.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines, a scheduled services arm of Volga-Dnepr Group, won the Wings of Russia Award 2008 as ’The Airline of the Year — Cargo Carrier on Domestic and International Routes’. This became the seventh success of the Group in the most prestigious Russian airline competition.

Volga-Dnepr contributed to the international anti-piracy campaign by delivering equipment and supplies for Japan Ministry of Defense by two AN-124-100 flights from Sendai, Japan to the Republic of Djibouti in Africa to fight sea piracy near Somali coast.

During the MAKS 2009 Air Show in Moscow, OAK (Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation) Vice President for Transport Airplanes Victor Livanov, General Designer of Antonov Design Bureau Dmitry Kyva and President of Volga-Dnepr Group Alexey Isaikin signed technical specifications for development of a new AN-124 modification. Technical design requirements were set by OAK and ADB in direct coordination with the launching customer for new AN-124 — Volga-Dnepr Group.

The new performance characteristics would feature the payload of 150 tons, increased range to 4,000 km with maximum load (15,000 km with zero payload), reduced crew to 3 members, comprehensive modernization of avionics and general improvement of operating efficiency.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines served a Dakar Series-brand Silk Way Rally 2009 that run through Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan from 5 по 13 September. The carrier was responsible for general dispatch of flight operations by a joint flight detachment in support of the motor race. After the finish, one of Volga-Dnepr’s AN-124-100 brought 4 trucks and 14 off-road cars of participants back home from Ashgabat to Leipzig.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines was awarded as the Best Cargo Charter Airline of the Year 2009 by the Baltic Air Charter Association (BACA) at BACA Excellence Awards.

In order to implement the route network development strategy and to expand its uniform and competitive fleet, AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC), has added to its current fleet one more Boeing 747-400ER Freighter, a most suitable version for scheduled operations. The fleet consists of 7 Boeing freighters: 4 Boeing 747-400ERF, 1 Boeing 747-300F and 2 Boeing 747-200F.

During the visit of the State Council to CJSC Aviastar-SP in Ulyanovsk the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev got on board of Antonov 124 and shared his opinion: “The market is huge, the cargo traffic is great, meanwhile few similar freighters are available worldwide. Someone is going to fill the gap. Better to engage our domestic enterprise; we could do it in cooperation with the US”. The AN-124 Resumed Production Project received support for future.

Based upon the 2009 results AirBridgeCargo was rewarded as a “Best cargo performer 2009”. This event was held by Fraport Cargo services (FCS) and involved the carriers operating in Frankfurt airport. ABC was ranked first in the “Most volume in 2009” category, leaving behind Cathay Pacific and Emirates. 11-month tonnage totaled to 31 040 tonnes, which is 30 % higher compared to the same period of previous year.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines’ IL-76TD delivered a collection of jewelry masterpieces of the era of Great Mughal rule exhibited at the Hermitage Museum from Saint Petersburg, Russia to Al Kuwait, Kuwait. The pieces of art belong to the personal collection of Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah such as jewelry masterpieces including a marvelous ruby renowned as ’The Timur Ruby’.

Volga-Dnepr Group’s results for 2009 show its charter and scheduled cargo airline businesses out-performed the industry average for the year, with overall freight traffic up 7% on the previous 12 months, contributing to total sales of US$1.252 billion. The Group has reported freight traffic carried by Volga-Dnepr Airlines and AirBridgeCargo Airlines rose to 1.845 billion FTK in 2009. This 7% increase demonstrates the high operational efficiency of the two airlines and compares with a −10% industry-average decrease for the year.

On 01 January, Tatyana Arslanova took the post of Executive President of AirBridgeCargo Airlines.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines’s IL-76TD-90VD aircraft delivered aid and relief supplies, including search & rescue and emergency medical aid equipment, from Paris-Vatry Airport, France to Haiti suffering from the terrible earthquake.

A “Kandahar” movie about the story of Russian aircraft crew was released in Russia. The plot of the film is based on real events. Four airmen of VDA staff were involved in the events used as a plot of the film. In 1995 they were the crew of IL-76 aircraft owned by a private airline from Kazan, Russia, that was operating a commercial flight from Albania to Afghanistan. In the sky over Kandahar the aircraft was intercepted by a Taliban fighter and forced to land under threat of rocket fire. Seven crewmembers were captured by Afghani Taliban militants. Russian crewmembers were kept prisoners for one year and 13 days. The only way to escape was a hijack. On 16 August, 1996, crewmembers managed to escape.

A new Ilyushin IL-76TD-90VD was released to a series of acceptance flights at the Chkalov TAPO’s flight test-center in Tashkent. It is the third aircraft of the modification financed by Volga-Dnepr Group.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) has won the top ’Cargo Carrier of the Year on International and Domestic Routes’ award for the second consecutive year at the annual Wings of Russia National Award Ceremony held in Moscow. Volga-Dnepr Airlines also received a distinction in the ’Cargo Carrier of the Year’ nomination category.

A third new generation IL-76TD-90VD freighter, built to order at the Tashkent Chkalov Aviation Factory (GAO TAPOiCh), has joined Volga-Dnepr Airlines’ fleet and successfully completed its first commercial flight. The latest 50 tonnes capacity aircraft operated its first customer flight on May 24th.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC), the scheduled cargo airline of Russia?s Volga-Dnepr Group, has taken delivery of its third Boeing 747-400 freighter in four months, increasing its total fleet to 10 B747F. Tatyana Arslanova, ABC?s Executive President, said: ?Our strategy of network expansion and quality improvement is supporting the continued growth and development of AirBridgeCargo Airlines. The three new Boeing 747-400 freighter aircraft that have joined our fleet since April 2010 are helping us to align our fleet to the most modern standard and to provide the service levels customers require."

August 15, Ulyanovsk. Nine of the world’s strongest athletes set a new world record moving An-124-100 Ruslan, the largest serial-production freighter. The event devoted to Volga-Dnepr Group’s twentieth anniversary and Russia Aviation Day. In the evening of the same day, Volga-Dnepr accommodated concerts by the legendary Sinyaya Ptitsa band, and famous Garik Sukachev.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC), the scheduled cargo business of Volga-Dnepr Group, has launched a twice-weekly all-cargo service to Paris Charles de Gaulle. The new Boeing 747 route will link with both Domodedovo and Sheremetyevo Airports in Moscow.

Volga-Dnepr Group has participated in the VI Annual Expert 400 Forum. During the plenary session Volga-Dnepr Group’s President reported the situation in cargo aviation in Russia.

Volga-Dnepr Group has participated in the IV International Transport of Russia Forum, held 17-18 November 2010 in Moscow. Volga-Dnepr Group’s President Alexey Isaikin made a presentation on prospects for Russian cargo aircraft, airport infrastructure and aviation industries.

Fraport Cargo Services (FCS) has presented AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) with its ‘Best Cargo Performer 2010’ award after the airline increased its freight volume through Frankfurt Airport by nearly 50%. Moreover ABC has added an eleventh Boeing 747 freighter to its fleet to ensure its service quality and performance levels keep pace with a year of record-breaking growth.

Volga-Dnepr Group has signed a global co-operation agreement with Kaspersky Lab for centralised protection of its IT workstations and file servers. Kaspersky Lab’s partner, Sotfline, supports the delivery of 1,500 licenses for the Kaspersky Business Space Security solution, which is currently being implemented across Volga-Dnepr Group’s businesses.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines, the outsize and heavyweight cargo airline of Volga-Dnepr Group, has signed a long-term aviation fuel contract with Aerofuels Group for aircraft fueling at its hub at Russia’s Ulyanovsk Vostochny airport. The “TZK Aerofuels” and “Aerofuels Ulyanovsk” fueling facility will supply the required annual fuel volume for all of Volga-Dnepr’s outbound and inbound flights at the airport.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) has won the ‘Wings of Russia’ national aviation award for the third year in a row for ‘Cargo Airline of the Year on Domestic and International Routes.’

Volga-Dnepr Airlines has joined forces with Russia’s Ulyanovsk State University on a project to develop an electronic system to support the prevention of air accidents. AlsoVolga-Dnepr has completed an urgent delivery of equipment for cooling damaged nuclear plant at Fukushima.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) has launched services to its first destination in North America with three flights a week to Chicago, becoming the first all-cargo airline with regular flights from the USA to Russia.

The former USSR space capsule ‘Vostok 3KA-2’ has been safely returned to a museum in Russia onboard an AirBridgeCargo Airlines’ B747-400 freighter. The space capsule was produced by the USSR and is of great historical interest for its role in the country’s space exploration programme.

For the third consecutive year, Volga-Dnepr Airlines has organised the air logistics requirements of competitors in the Silk Way Rally 2011, part of the Dakar Series of international motor race events

Volga-Dnepr Group and Antonov Company have reached an agreement to upgrade the first one of Volga-Dnepr’s fleet of AN-124-100 ‘Ruslan’ freighters to a modernised AN-124-111VD standard in the latest step towards relaunching serial production of this unique cargo aircraft. SuperJet International and Volga-Dnepr Technics have signed a Letter of Intent for the provision of maintenance services for the Sukhoi Superjet100 (SSJ100) aircraft.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines is to open its own sales office in Japan to reflect the country’s importance and strong growth in demand for its services.

Volga-Dnepr UK Ltd has achieved international endorsement for its quality and environment management processes from the International Organisation for Standardisation (IS0), the most well-established management standards in the world today.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines joined the relief operation to help earthquake victims in Turkey with two flights from Sharjah, UAE delivering urgently-needed equipment on behalf of the United Nations.

It is the third time in a row AirBridgeCargo is recognized as the leading carrier handled by Fraport in terms of volume during the latest ceremony “Best Cargo Performer”. Volga-Dnepr Airlines has added a fourth modernized IL-76TD-90VD cargo aircraft to its fleet.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines has celebrated the delivery of its first of five new generation Boeing 747-8 freighters from Boeing.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines, Russia’s largest cargo carrier, has operated its first ever cross polar flight via North Pole en route from Chicago to Krasnoyarsk. On board the 747-400 freighter was a very special passenger load — 175 Angus bred heifers, weighting а total of 104 000 kg. The animals landed safe and sound at Krasnoyarsk airport, Emelyanovo from where they continued on their way to a local breeding farm.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines takes delivery of second Boeing 747-8F AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC), part of Volga-Dnepr Group and Russia’s largest cargo airline, has today taken delivery of its second Boeing 747-8 Freighter from Boeing in Seattle.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC), Russia’s biggest cargo carrier, had successfully completed an audit to be listed in the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) register.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC), has been awarded the ‘Wings of Russia’ national aviation prize for the fourth year in a row.

As part of its commitment to promoting Russia’s air cargo and aviation sectors, Volga-Dnepr Group has hosted The International Air Cargo Association’s (TIACA) 2012 Executive Summit and Annual General Meeting in Moscow with its theme of ‘Air Cargo in the Rising Economies: East Balances West’.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) has become an Active member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The airline was formally welcomed to the Association in a letter from its Director General & CEO, Antony Tyler, to Tatyana Arslanova, Executive President of ABC.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines has added a fifth new IL-76TD-90VD cargo aircraft to its fleet.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines delivered two Mangust patrol boats for APEC summit from Moscow to Vladivostok (Russia). The delivery was carried out by Antonov An-124-100 on 9 August 2012. The boats, 20 meters long and 30 tons each, were loaded into the aircraft using ramp and rails as well as a crane with 110 ton lifting capacity.

Volga-Dnepr Technics (VDT) has opened an aircraft line maintenance station at Frankfurt Airport, Germany.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) has taken delivery of its third Boeing 747-8 Freighter from Boeing in Everett (USA). The aircraft made its first commercial flight on December 3rd on Seattle (USA) — Hong Kong (China) — Moscow/Sheremetyevo (Russia) route.

Volga-Dnepr Group has started operations in a newly-built hangar facility constructed by Leipzig/Halle Airport. The lease has been taken by Volga-Dnepr Technic GmbH, the MRO provider which represents Volga-Dnepr Technics in Germany.

Fraport Cargo Services acknowledged AirBridgeCargo Airlines as one of the best cargo performers at Frankfurt Airport in its annual ceremony to honour its top cargo carriers.

Leipzig/Halle Airport and Volga-Dnepr Group jointly celebrated the official opening of a new aircraft maintenance hangar that is expected to attract airline customers from all over the world.

One of Volga-Dnepr Airlines’ An-124-100 freighters transported a fuselage section for the new Irkut MS-21 Russian passenger aircraft between the Russian cities of Irkutsk and Zhukovsky.

Volga-Dnepr Technics won an award for its achievements in the development of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, presented at the Aircraft Maintenance Russia and CIS 2013 international conference and exhibition.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines safely transported alive bisons onboard IL-76TD-90VD aircraft from Edmonton, Canada, to Yakutsk, Russia.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines completed a series of flights delivering sports equipment for participants in the 2012/13 Biathlon World Cup. Some 20 tons of inventory including skis and guns was carried onboard the airline’s IL-76TD-90VD freighters from Holmenkollen in Norway, where one of the Biathlon World Cup stages was held, to places of the final stages, Russian cities of Sochi and Khanty-Mansiysk.

Volga-Dnepr Group was announced the winner in two categories of 2012 Wings of Russia National Aviation Award. Volga-Dnepr Group received an award for the Best Business Project in Russian Civil Aviation. Volga-Dnepr Airlines was named the Airline of the Year — Cargo Carrier on Domestic and International Routes for the seventh time.

Volga-Dnepr Group officially launched its new aircraft maintenance hangar facility at Sharjah International Airport in the UAE with an official opening ceremony for senior aviation industry officials.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines became a silver prize-winner in the Russian Organization of High Social Efficiency federal contest for supporting the health and wellbeing of its employees. The airline was recognized in the award category entitled ‘Promotion of Healthy Lifestyle In Production Sphere Organizations’.

At 2013 Air Cargo Europe Conference and Exhibition (Munich, Germany) Volga-Dnepr Airlines reached an agreement with Paris-Vatry Airport to base its new IL-76TD-90VD freighter aircraft at the airport to meet growing demand for quiet and environment-friendly air charter operations.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines’ An-124-100 delivered two Boeing 787 Dreamliner wing sections, each measuring 28 meters in length and manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, from Nagoya, Japan to Everett, USA. The unique transportation tooling, loading equipment and operating procedures for such flight were designed by an international team from Volga-Dnepr Airlines (Russia and UK), Boeing (USA) and Broetje Automation GmbH (Germany) with the use of CATIA three-dimensional modeling. Volga-Dnepr’s Engineering and Logistics Center (ELC) comprehensively contributed to the preparation stage and overall success of the logistics process.

27 four-legged star performers (14 dogs and 13 cats) from Moscow’s famous Nikulin Circus arrived safely onboard one of AirBridgeCargo airlines’ aircraft to Tokyo for participation in a series of special shows in Japan.

Volga-Dnepr Group participated in the 11th International Aviation and Space Salon MAKS 2013 on August 27 — September 1 at Zhukovsky, Moscow Region, Russia.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines successfully completed a large air logistics project in Papua New Guinea. Over 6,000 tons of industrial equipment were carried on 88 flights operated by AN-124-100 aircraft in 103 days to supply the ExxonMobil-operated PNG LNG Project near Komo. The project’s logistics preparation phase dated back to 2008 and involved comprehensive professional advice and expertise of Volga-Dnepr, including in construction of a new high-elevation airfield in Komo with the country’s currently longest runway of 3,200 meters.

An 80-ton mobile gas turbine power plant has been transported from Abakan to Kaliningrad, Russia, by Volga-Dnepr Airlines. The outsize cargo, carried onboard one of the airline’s AN-124-100 freighters, measured 20 metres in length and more than four metres in height and width. To load the plant, Volga-Dnepr’s experts used a ramp extension so the trailer carrying the gas turbine could be reversed into the freighter aircraft under its own power. This challenging process was managed and closely controlled by the technical crew of the aircraft.

Volga-Dnepr Technics was awarded a contract to provide maintenance services in Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport for Aeroflot-Russian Airlines’ Boeing 737NG (Next Generation) aircraft fleet. The agreement for maintenance at the city’s also includes a provision for Volga-Dnepr Technics to supply qualified personnel for maintenance supervision and other field services in support of Aeroflot’s flight operations.

Managing Director, Volga-Dnepr Technic GmbH, Ildar Ilyasov has won a special award in the annual ARISTOS-2013 awards ceremony in Moscow that celebrated the ‘best of the best’ in the Russian business community. Mr Ilyasov won the ‘Our People in Germany’ nomination.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines operated series of flights delivering 140 tons of aid and relief cargo for the victims of typhoon Haiyan and October 15 earthquake in the Philippines. Tents and sheds, generators, food, mobile camp for relief workers, automobiles, motor transport, water purifiers were carried from Singapore, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Canada to disaster area. The Norwegian Red Cross expressed its gratitude to Volga-Dnepr Airlines for professional work and its role in expediting humanitarian aid.

One of Volga-Dnepr Airlines’ IL-76TD-90VD freighters was the ultimate “bus stop” for an 18 metre Irisbus Citelis bus on its journey from Turin in Italy to Astana, Kazakhstan.

An-124-100 Ruslan aircraft lifted Russia’s 2014 Winter Olympic Torch high into the sky above the city of Ulyanovsk. As part of the official torch relay program, the Olympic flame was encased in a secured lantern and placed in the aircraft. While onboard, it was accompanied by an entourage of flame guardians together with a cortege of Volkswagen Amarok trucks driven into the spacious hold of the world’s largest serial airlifter.

Boeing and AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) celebrated the delivery of the airline’s fifth 747-8 Freighter. “ABC has already experienced the outstanding payload and operating economics of the747-8 family,” said Denis Ilin, Executive President of AirBridgeCargo Airlines. “We are really excited to receive our fifth 747-8 Freighter”.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines delivered 40 tons of video broadcasting equipment to Sochi supporting the opening ceremony of the 22nd Winter Olympic Games at the Fisht Olympic stadium. The airline carried the equipment from Vatry in France onboard one of its IL-76TD-90VD freighters. The shipment included display stations, projectors, power supplies and supporting equipment. In 2013-2014 Volga-Dnepr Group has transported over 1800 tons of air cargo for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, including broadcast, lighting and sports equipment. Overall, over 30 charter flights were operated by the fleet of AN-124-100, IL-76TD-90VD, B747, B737 and AN-12 freighters.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines’ AN-124-100 aircraft carried a 103-ton rotor from Frankfurt/Hahn (Germany) to Yekaterinburg (Russia). As part of the end-to-end carriage, the company arranged for all necessary special ground equipment, authorizations and procedures to ensure safe delivery of the rotor right to the installation site.

In the lead-up to St. Valentine’s Day AirBridgeCargo Airlines transported 1,400 tons of flowers from Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Moscow (Russia), representing a 18% increase of demand for such cargo over the same period in 2013.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines operated its 1,100th flight for the oil and gas industry delivering 45-tons of seabed drilling equipment on board IL-76TD-90VD aircraft from Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) to Prestwick (England).

Volga-Dnepr Airlines supplied end-to-end logistics services, including proprietary crane and craneless loading solutions, for transportation of a 6 m wide and 2.4 m high turbine ‘runner’ weighing 73 tons from Sankt Pölten (Austria) to Bratsk (Russia) for modernization of Bratsk Hydroelectric Power Station.

Four helicopters bound for Heli Expo in Los Angeles (USA), the world’s largest helicopter show, have crossed the Atlantic on board one of Volga-Dnepr’s AN-124-100 freighters. The helicopters were loaded at Italy’s Milano Malpensa Airport.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines launched flights linking Dallas/Fort Worth (USA) with Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Moscow (Russia). New flights from Dallas/Fort Worth will operate to Amsterdam Schiphol and Moscow Sheremetyevo airports. The airline also increased its current frequencies to Chicago by introducing direct flights from Frankfurt.

Volga-Dnepr Group celebrated AirBridgeCargo Airlines’ 10-year anniversary. ABC has commenced its 10^th anniversary year with the strongest first quarter in its history, with tonnage up nine percent in Q1 to 86,500 tonnes. Denis Ilin, Executive President of AirBridgeCargo Airlines, said: “Today is a proud milestone for our company and a tribute to all of the members of the ABC team around the world and our parent Volga-Dnepr Group for enabling us to achieve our strategic goals over the first 10 years of our development. Most of all we say thank you to our customers for their support and trust in us. We value long-term partnerships and look forward to achieving further growth together.”

Volga-Dnepr Airlines’ AN-124-100 aircraft delivered Luch-5V and KazSat-3 telecommunications satellites from Krasnoyarsk in Russia to Kazakhstan’s Baikonur Cosmodrome. The time definite requirement required the aircraft and all of the external loading equipment to be ready for loading the satellites as soon as they arrived at the airport in Krasnoyarsk from their production site in the city of Zheleznogorsk. Following the safe arrival of the aircraft and its cargo to Baikonur, Volga-Dnepr delivered the satellite container back to its manufacturer in Krasnoyarsk.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines expanded its presence in Europe with new routes linking Moscow (Sheremetyevo Airport) with Malmo, Sweden and Leipzig, Germany.

Effective from May 9^th, AirBridgeCargo Airlines introduced direct Boeing 747 freighter services to/from Munich (Germany) and Moscow (Russia). The new flight became in addition to the existing 4 weekly Boeing 737 flights operated by Atran Cargo Airlines.

Volga-Dnepr Group has provided a total logistics solution for a mobile inspection system of the Russian company Algont on its way to a counter terrorism exhibition in London. In order to provide the customer with a timely and cost effective delivery of the exhibition equipment from Kaluga in Russia to London in England and back again, Volga-Dnepr team arranged a multimodal carriage by road and air.

As part of its participation in the ILA 2014 air show in Berlin on May 20-25, one of Volga-Dnepr Group’s AN-124-100 ‘Ruslan’ aircraft provided a unique venue for the 7^th European Air Cargo Transport Congress. A range of topics was discussed including air logistics, factors that influence and form today’s European cargo transport market and the prospects of airport development in Germany.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines operated its first flight for Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology organization, moving a SaudiSat-4 satellite made in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to its launch site in Orsk, Russia. The flight was operated onboard one of the airline’s IL-76TD-90VD aircraft from Riyadh with an intermediate stop in Ulyanovsk.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines has seen a big increase in shipments for the aerospace industry with 22 flights moving space satellites over a 12-week period to the end of May. One of its latest shipments was the Express AM6 Russian satellite from Krasnoyarsk in Russia to Baikonur, Kazakhstan onboard AN-124-100. Further eight satellites, produced in the UK, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands and Spain, were carried on a single IL-76-TD-90VD cargo flight from the Czech city of Pardubice to Orsk, the Russian spaceport.

A documentary film “Welcome to Paradise” about Volga-Dnepr Group participation in a gas processing plant construction project in Papua New Guinea was named the “The best Nonfiction Film” of the VI International Festival of Films and TV Programs also known as “With All My Heart” annual film festival organized in Ulyanovsk, Russia in memory of the famous Soviet and Russian TV anchor Valentina Leontyeva.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines delivered a mobile 24-meter high drilling rig onboard its AN-124-100 Ruslan from Novy Urengoy to Mirny, Russia for a gas condensate field.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines was named the ‘Best All Cargo Carrier’ in the 28^th Asian Freight & Supply Chain Awards (AFSCA).

Two 9-ton artificial grass machines Desso GrassMaster used to create sustainable sports stadium pitches have arrived in Maastricht in the Netherlands from Singapore onboard a Volga-Dnepr Airlines’ IL-76TD-90VD.

An-124-100 and IL-76TD-90VD freighters from Volga-Dnepr Airlines’ fleet were called into action to deliver more than 80 tons of oil and gas equipment to Cape Town in South Africa.

Volga-Dnepr Group’s international competition to design an ‘Advanced Transport Aircraft of the 21st Century’ inspired aircraft engineers and aviation enthusiasts from 22 to 74 years of age to put forward their ideas and was won by three students attending the Moscow Aviation Institute.

The French Trade Commission UBIFRANCE, responsible for export promotion, has paid a visit to Volga-Dnepr Airlines in Ulyanovsk to gain a better understanding of its unique air logistics capabilities.

Chapman Freeborn Airchartering and Volga-Dnepr Airlines have helped Argentina’s aerospace industry deliver a piece of history by transporting the first-ever space satellite manufactured in the country from San Carlos de Bariloche Airport to its launch site in French Guiana.

Volga-Dnepr Gulf (VD Gulf), Volga-Dnepr Technics Subgroup branch in the Middle East, passed all required procedures to receive EASA approval (European Aviation Safety Agency) to perform maintenance of western-made aircraft at the Sharjah Airport. EASA Part-145 certificate allows to perform the aircraft line maintenance of Boeing 737 CL&NG, Boeing 747-400 and Airbus A320 Family, as well as to provide services in components repair (С4, С5, С8, С14, С20 ratings) and non-destructive check (D1).

AirBridgeCargo Airlines recently celebrated the delivery of its next brand new 747-8 Freighter.

A Volga-Dnepr Airlines’ An-124-100 freighter has transported a Sukhoi Superjet 100 fuselage as well as the aircraft’s wings and tail section from Komsomolsk-na-Amure in Khabarovsk krai to Zhukovsky, southeast of Moscow.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines, Russia’s has successfully delivered a horizontal stabilizer for a Boeing 737 from Shanghai to Chicago on its way to the Boeing aircraft factory in Seattle. The component’s five individual pieces were delivered onboard two Boeing 747 freighter flights from China to the U.S. over the course of 24 hours. On arrival in Chicago, the cargo was delivered to Seattle by truck.

In 2014 AirBridgeCargo Airlines carried 401,000 tonnes of cargo demonstrating a 17.6% increase year-on-year.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines started its 25th anniversary year by moving a 70-ton electrodynamic vibration tester from Shanghai to Russia onboard one of its biggest Antonov-124-100. For loading and offloading mobile cranes and seven tons of unique loading equipment were applied.

On January 26 AirBridgeCargo Airlines added Helsinki, Finland, to its international network.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines continued to increase the number of its customers providing the delivery of 50-ton gas equipment from Russian city Kazan to Karshi, Uzbekistan, for the new partner, logistics provider G&O Solutions, and becoming a corporate sponsorship partner of Advanced International Networks Limited (AIN) that joins leading independent freight forwarders and project logistics professionals around the world.

Volga-Dnepr Technics Moscow opened a new line station in Russia’s Krasnodar-Pashkovsky airport (KRR). The station gained EASA approval.

Due to the unique technology developed by Volga-Dnepr Airlines’ engineers, An-124-100 aircraft could deliver a 70-ton one-piece cargo 2 metres longer than a cargo floor of the biggest serial transport aircraft in the world. The flight from Bakersfield, California, to Erbil, Iraq, was organized in cooperation of Volga-Dnepr Unique Air Cargo in Houston and joint venture Ruslan International.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines delivered the Russian telecommunications satellites Express AM7 and Express AM8 to the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch site in Kazakhstan. Flights carrying the satellites were operated from Toulouse in France and from the Russian city of Krasnoyarsk onboard Volga-Dnepr Airlines’ An-124-100 freighter.

Volga-Dnepr won its 13^th award “Wings of Russia”, the category ‘Contribution to the development of Russian air transport’, for the first time included into the Awards program.

On April 1 AirBridgeCargo Airlines added Hanoi, Vietnam, to its fast-growing international network.

Germany’s World Champion biathlete, Erik Lesser accompanied a delivery of sports equipment for more than 200 participants of the 2014-2015 Biathlon World Cup final stage. The flight was operated onboard Volga-Dnepr’s IL-76TD-90VD aircraft.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines successfully renewed its IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certificate for the fifth time.

On April 25 in London AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) earned the prestigious ‘All-Cargo Airline of the Year Award’ at the 32^nd annual Cargo Airline of the Year ceremony, voted for by Air Cargo News’ 50,000 global readers representing air cargo customers around the world.

One of Volga-Dnepr Airlines’ unique An-124-100 freighters was painted using a leading coating technology “The Base coat/clear coat system” to increase the aircraft’s aerodynamic qualities and produce a fuel saving.

Volga-Dnepr delivered 45 tons of humanitarian cargo on behalf of the Norwegian Red Cross to help earthquake victims in Nepal. A Rapid Deployment Emergency Hospital with surgical capacity and 60 beds was transported from Oslo, Norway, to Kathmandu over two flights in the first week of May using Volga-Dnepr’s IL-76TD-90VD freighter aircraft.

Volga-Dnepr Group won the Air Cargo Industry Achievement Award in the Air Cargo Week World Air Cargo Awards for its commitment to the development of air cargo, investment in new products and services, and consistent growth.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines’ Engineering & Logistics Centre (ELC) sped into action to complete the urgent delivery of a 40-ton propeller shaft for a ship in Brazil.

The 16-metre spare part was secured inside a special transport frame and loaded onboard one of Volga-Dnepr’s IL-76TD-90VD freighters using a trailer and cranes organized by the ELC team. The flight from Laage in Germany to Florianopolis, Brazil, was operated on behalf of leading Norwegian broker Aircontact Services AS.

Bermuda Department of Civil Aviation (BDCA) audited and confirmed the scope of Moscow-based Volga-Dnepr Technics MSK Limited (VDTM), and extended the company’s existing certificate AMO BDA 297 as a continued airworthiness management organization under OTAR Part 39 Option 2 Subpart E (CAMO Approval).

Volga-Dnepr Airlines completed two simultaneous IL-76TD-90VD cargo flights to ensure the fastest possible delivery of urgent mobile drilling equipment for an oil and gas customer in Kuwait.

Volga-Dnepr’s expertise was called in action to safely deliver a shipment of 1,236,000 Muksun fish to help repopulate the freshwater Ob River basin in northern Russia.

The whitefish, mostly found in the Siberian Arctic waters, were transported in four 2.5 ton water containers with oxygen tanks from St. Petersburg to Salekhard onboard one of Boeing 737 freighters operated by AirBridgeCargo. It is believed to be the first time Muksun’s have flown by air.

Twenty-eight 7.5 metre cypress trees have arrived in the Uzbekistan capital, Tashkent, onboard one of Volga-Dnepr Airlines’ IL-76TD-90VD freighters. The trees were flown in from Brno in the Czech Republic for a landscape reconstruction project in Tashkent as part of the city’s preparations to host the 2016 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit.

Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) issued the certificate of conformance with IAC Aviation Rules, Part 145 (AR-145) to AMTES GmbH (a member of Volga-Dnepr Technics Subgroup). This certificate extends company’s capabilities in AN-124 aircraft maintenance and repair.

Volga-Dnepr Group has signed the finance lease agreement with JSC Sberbank Leasing to acquire two An-124-100 Ruslan freighters. Sergey Shklyanik, Group Senior Vice-President said: “The AN-124-100 aircraft acquisition goes in line with the Group Strategy 2020 which provides for the fleet extension with Russian and foreign-made aircraft.”

AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) and Volga-Dnepr Airlines are celebrating a double success in the Payload Asia Awards 2015, winning the ‘Best Overall Carrier of the Year 2015’ and ‘Charter Operator of the Year’ prizes respectively. The awards represent a further service excellence milestone for Volga-Dnepr Group in its 25th anniversary year with more top honours for its scheduled cargo and cargo charter airlines.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines has been voted ‘Best Cargo Charter Airline’ by members of the Baltic Air Charter Association (BACA) for the second consecutive year.

Volga-Dnepr Technics Moscow (VDTM) has been ranked in top ten Russian innovative companies in recognition of its commitment to sustainable growth and successful business development strategy. The awards ceremony to celebrate the winners of TechUp 2015 — Russia`s national fast-growing high-tech companies rating — was held during Moscow’s International Open Innovations Forum.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) has successfully passed the audit procedures for compliance with the International Air Transport Association’s Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), renewing its certification for a further two years.

Volga-Dnepr Gulf (VD Gulf) company, which represents Volga-Dnepr Technics Subgroup in the Middle East region has successfully completed the full cycle of procedures required for being granted the authorization by European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to perform base maintenance checks (C-Checks) on Boeing 747-400 and Boeing 737NG aircraft in the Company’s hangar facility at Sharjah Airport, UAE.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines has operated three An-124-100 cargo flights for global logistics company BOLLORE LOGISTICS carrying equipment and materials for the ExoMars space exploration programme that aims to discover any traces of life on Mars.

The payload module of a spacecraft represented Volga-Dnepr Airlines’ recent aerospace delivery when it arrived in the UK from Moscow.

During the period 9 January through 17 February 2016 a B747-400 aircraft, contracted by Air Atlanta to Volga-Dnepr Gulf, underwent major rework, painting, cabin reconfiguration and customization for IRON MAIDEN rock-band World Tour called ‘The book of souls’ on behalf of Air Atlanta Icelandic by VD Gulf staff at VD Gulf main hangar in Sharjah, UAE.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines continued to support the ExoMars mission organised jointly by the European Space Agency and the Russian space agency, Roscosmos, by delivering a Breeze-M booster to Baikonur in preparation for the space vehicles’ scheduled launch.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines first-ever ‘season’ of cargo flights to Antarctica transported using its IL-76TD-90VD freighter. over 190 tonnes of cargo to support the new DROMLAN international Antarctic project supported by nations including Belgium, Germany, Finland, India, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, South Africa, Sweden and the United Kingdom

The Italian Association of Air Cargo Agents (ANAMA) presented its “Quality awards 2016” to air transport members at an annual event held at Alcatraz Milano, with the highest accolade (Quality Overall Performance) going to AirBridgeCargo Airlines

Volga-Dnepr Gulf has extended its EASA Part-145 certificate to include a full range of maintenance activities (up to D-check) on Boeing 747-400 and Boeing 737 CL/NG type aircraft

Volga-Dnepr Technics Moscow (VDTM), part of Volga-Dnepr Technics subgroup — a maintenance, repair and overhaul division of Volga-Dnepr Group, has successfully passed a certification process to become an approved maintenance organization for Sukhoi Super Jet 100 aircraft under Russian Federal Aviation Regulations 285

A special loading system developed for the transportation of long cargoes provided the perfect solution to help load a 35-metre telescopic crane bridge onboard a Volga-Dnepr Airlines’ An-124-100 freighter for its delivery to Rio de Janeiro.

Boeing and Volga-Dnepr Group, a leader in transportation of unique, outsize and heavy cargo, have signed an agreement for the Group’s subsidiaries AirBridgeCargo Airlines and Volga-Dnepr Airlines to provide long-term logistics support for Boeing Commercial Airplanes and its partners using Boeing 747-8F and Antonov 124-100 freighters.

Solar Impulse 2’s historic mission to become the first solar-powered aircraft to circumnavigate the globe and to showcase that clean technologies can achieve the impossible was successfully achieved with the logistics support of Chapman Freeborn and Volga-Dnepr Airlines.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines has delivered four Mangust patrol boats to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in the Far East of Russia and provided its customer with additional logistics services, including the launch of boats at the port of Korsakov. The boats, built at the Vympel Shipyard in Rybinsk for the Border Guard Service, were carried onboard two An-124-100 ‘Ruslan’ flights from Tunoshna airport near Yaroslavl and were loaded onto the aircraft using a ramp, rail system and a crane. Each one measured 19 metres in length and weighed 32 tonnes.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines has been voted Charter Operator of the Year in the Industry Choice Awards at the 5th Annual Payload Asia Awards 2016, presented in Hong Kong. t was a night of double success for Volga-Dnepr Group with AirBridgeCargo Airlines winning the ‘Media Award of the Year’ in the Editor’s Choice Awards for the quality of its communications.

An 88-tonne ‘jaw crusher’ used for gold mining has arrived at Russia’s Sokol Airport in Magadan onboard one of Volga-Dnepr Airlines’ An-124-100 freighters.

Volga-Dnepr Group is continuing to support the programme to reintroduce endangered Przewalski horses in the Ural steppe of Russia by ensuring a safe delivery of the latest 14 horses from the Hortobágy National Park in Hungary.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines’ (ABC) growing fleet and network helped it exceed 1,000 Boeing 747 freighter flights at Amsterdam Schiphol and Frankfurt airports for the first time in 2016. AirBridgeCargo is now the largest all-cargo operator in Amsterdam and the second largest airline overall for tonnage after the national carrier. It is also the second biggest cargo carrier in Frankfurt.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines operated a series of An-124-100 and IL-76TD-90VD charter flights and utilized the scheduled Boeing 747 freighter services run by its sister airline, AirBridgeCargo (ABC), to help deugro Airfreight GmbH deliver vital equipment for a new liquefied natural gas (LNG) production plant on the Yamal Peninsula in northwest Siberia.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines has delivered the third stage of the Soyuz-ST launch vehicle from Samara in Russia to Europe’s Spaceport in Cayenne (French Guiana) onboard Il-76TD-90VD freighter.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines’ (ABC) reputation for the safe delivery of high value and sensitive shipments made it the perfect partner to carry the eROSITA X-ray telescope from Germany to Russia in preparation for its launch onboard the ‘SRG’ spacecraft in spring 2018. The telescope will ultimately produce a new map of the universe in X-rays, revealing how the largest cosmic structures evolve.

Volga-Dnepr Technics Moscow’s (VDTM) Aviation Training Center has been awarded Federal Aviation Regulation № 289 certification, making it one of the first MRO providers to be approved to train engineering and technical personnel to conduct maintenance on aircraft produced by international manufacturers, including Boeing 747-400 and 747-8 types.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) has joined Pharma Gateway Amsterdam (PGA) as part of its commitment to enhance its service offering for pharmaceutical customers globally.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) has been voted ‘Best All-Cargo Airline’ for the second consecutive year in the Asian Freight, Logistics and Supply Chain (AFLAS) Awards.

Volga-Dnepr airlines joins hurricane irma relief effort with An-124-100 and Il-76TD-90VD flights to Pointe-à-Pitre, Bridgetown and Miami. Volga-Dnepr Airlines’ 27 years of expertise in supporting international humanitarian aid projects has been called into action to help victims of Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean and Florida. The airline has so far operated three flights carrying nearly 175 tonnes of relief goods and equipment.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines’ An-124-100 and IL-76TD90-VD freighters have proudly completed an emotional homecoming to Germany of a Boeing 737-200 which was hijacked by terrorists in 1977. The former Lufthansa aircraft is to be fully restored and placed on permanent display in the Dornier Museum in the town on Friederichshafen.

Mikhail Smirnykh, General Director of Volga-Dnepr Airlines, said: “We are extremely proud to have been chosen to bring the Boeing 737 ‘Landshut’ home to Germany. It is a symbol of the nation’s commitment to never bow down to terrorism. For us this is an especially poignant project to be supporting because our own company witnessed the tragic consequences of terrorism two years ago when six of our colleagues resting between flights lost their lives when armed militants stormed a hotel in Mali. Bringing this Boeing 737 home is, therefore, very meaningful to us and we share and support everything it stands for.”

AirBridgeCargo airlines delivered twenty-eight shiny-new Maserati vehicles for its customers on board one of its B747 from Milan to Tokyo.

VD Gulf, Volga-Dnepr Group’s MRO business unit based in Sharjah, UAE, has won an international tender to provide aircraft maintenance services for Rossiya Airlines, one of the largest airlines in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Rossiya Airlines has already witnessed VD Gulf’s MRO competence and experience in 2017 after it carried out maintenance on the airline’s Boeing family aircraft. In 2018, VD Gulf will carry out a further seven heavy checks on Rossiya’s Boeing 747-400s.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines used all its expertise in delivering live animals to ensure the well-being and safe delivery of two Southern White Rhinos fr om Tel Aviv, Israel, to Russia wh ere they will now reside in one of the largest Russian zoos in Rostov-on-Don, which participates in international programmes for the preservation of rare and endangered animals.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) completed a Boeing 747 freighter charter flight for Universal Global Logistics S.A.U. delivering 66 motorcycles on their way to the first round of the 2018 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, which commenced at the end of February with the Yamaha Finance Australian Round.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) has been voted ‘Best All-Cargo-Airline’ for the third consecutive year in The Asian Freight, Logistics & Supply Chain (AFLAS) awards, presented at a gala ceremony in Shanghai, China.

Volga-Dnepr Technics Moscow (VDTM), a business unit of Volga-Dnepr Group completed the certification of a line maintenance station in Liege, Belgium for aircraft registered in Bermuda. One of the largest Russian MRO providers is now able to carry out scheduled line maintenance of B737-300/400/500, B747-400 and B747-8 aircraft. Approved scope of work includes daily maintenance and defect elimination

AirBridgeCargo Airlines, one of the major international air freight carriers, has been acknowledged by RusPrix Award for ‘The outstanding contribution to the development of Dutch-Russian economic cooperation in the field of logistics and transport’ during the annual award ceremony, which was held in Noordwijk aan Zee on the 15th of June.

GE Aviation partnered with Volga-Dnepr Airlines to return the world’s largest jet engine to Ohio, following the GE9X’s successful on-wing testing in Victorville, California.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC), one of the leading air cargo carriers in the world, has successfully transported 66 giraffes onboard one of its Boeing 747 freighters. The charter flight was operated at the end of July from South Africa’s O. R. Tambo International Airport near Johannesburg to Zhengzhou, China, via ABC’s Moscow Sheremetyevo cargo hub.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines has delivered generators and a water purification system to Indonesia to support the international humanitarian mission dealing with the cataclysmic aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami that struck Sulawesi Island at the end of September 2018.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC), one of the leading cargo carriers of the world, has officially joined International Airlines Technical Pool (IATP), the global association representing a membership of 114 airlines and 36 service providers and original equipment manufacturers (OEM).

Atran Airlines, the Russian air express carrier within Volga-Dnepr Group, starts new year with additional airplane within its fleet as it has taken delivery of Boeing 737-800 BCF, thus enlarging its fleet to four freighters.