Freight Volga Dnepr Group plans new base in Europe

According to the newspaper Cargo Facts, the carrier plans to get an AOC for the new carrier by the end of 2018. Neither a name nor a time for the launch has been determined.

Currently, Volga Dnepr offers scheduled flights from Leipzig-Halle to Moscow-Sheremetyevo, operated by Air Bridge Cargo. In addition to the scheduled flights Volga Dnepr founded Ruslan Salis GmbH in 2006 at Leipzig-Halle Airport. The company offers Antonov AN124-100 services to NATO members and EU countries for the Strategic Airlift Interim Solution (SALIS) to support humanitarian programmes all over the world. Two AN-124-100 are permanently based in Leipzig.

The Volga Dnepr Group has three airline subsidiaries which are all based in Moscow.

The main airline Volga Dnepr Airlines operates a fleet of 12 Antonov AN124-100 and five Ilyushin-76 for charter freight operations. Air Bridge Cargo offers scheduled freight operations with eleven Boeing 747-8F and seven Boeing 747-400F. Air Bridge Cargo is the largest Russian cargo airline, covering more than 30 destinations worldwide. Atran Air is the third cargo airline which operates three Boeing 737-400F aircraft for express cargo flights.

Leipzig-Halle Airport is Germany’s second largest cargo airport and the fifth largest in Europe. The freight handling operations are growing and reached a figure of 828,163.1 tonnes from January until September 2017. The German logistic service provider DHL moved its Europe hub from Brussels Airport to Leipzig-Halle in 2008.