Volga-Dnepr and Henan province partners to expand ‘One Belt, One Road’ cooperation

Volga-Dnepr Group, Henan Airport Group and Zhongyuan Asset Management have signed a framework agreement on long-term strategic cooperation following a series of meetings between the leaders of Volga-Dnepr and Henan province in Russia and China.

Aleksey Isaikin, President of Volga-Dnepr Group, stated: “This signed agreement is a commitment to transition the long-term cooperation between Volga-Dnepr, Henan province in general, and Henan Airport Group in particular, to a new level. What unites us and our partners is shared adherence to our development strategies and global industrial leadership, as well as our determination to make a notable contribution to strengthening cooperation between Russia and China through the creation of a mutually beneficial trans-Siberian air bridge within the scope of the unprecedented ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative. Having a unique fleet, which includes An-124-100, Il-76TD-90VD, Boeing 747 and Boeing 737 cargo aircraft, Volga-Dnepr Group is the largest Russian airfreight carrier and has extensive experience in the Chinese market. The potential advantages of Zhengzhou were obvious to us right from the beginning, notably its advantageous geographical location and the existence of the Zhengzhou Airport Economic Comprehensive Experimental Zone, which boasts a positive development trend. This Experimental Zone is the first and only one in China, and its development is supported by the Chinese government.”

The ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative, which the signed agreement is now part of, was announced by the President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping in 2013. Its realization is aimed at developing a new international cooperation model with the participation of China, including the creation of trans-regional transportation and investment infrastructure. Russia is one of the most important strategic partners of the initiative. Zhongyuan Asset Management Co., Ltd. was established in 2015 with the approval of the People’s Government of Henan province and bases itself upon serving the implementation of the national strategy of the Zhengzhou Airport Economic Comprehensive Experimental Zone.

Volga-Dnepr Group is connected to China by an extensive history of cooperation, first commencing air charter flights to the country in the 1990s. When the Group launched AirBridgeCargo Airlines in 2004, its first scheduled freighter services were to China. AirBridgeCargo was the first foreign cargo carrier to begin operating to Zhengzhou Airport. The airline and Zhengzhou have since established a strong partnership and, today, AirBridgeCargo operates daily 747 all-cargo flights to the airport.