WFS WINS CONTRACT TO OPERATE NEW CARGO TERMINAL AT MILAN MALPENSA AS AIRPORT AIMS TO INCREASE CAPACITY TO ONE MILLION TONNES A YEAR BY 2020

Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) has been awarded the handling concession for a new 5,000 sq. mt. cargo terminal at Milan Malpensa Airport, part of a major investment programme to increase the airport’s cargo capacity to one million tonnes a year by 2020.

WFS, the world’s largest cargo handler, will move into the new building in early 2016 on completion of the construction phase and will invest in excess of €1.8 million to equip the facility with modern handling systems and the necessary logistics infrastructure.

The successful bid is for a minimum of 10 years with the option of a further five years at Milan Malpensa, which handles some 50% of all air cargo exports from Italy. WFS has operated an airline representative office at the airport since 2008 and has cargo handling contracts in Milan for major airline customers including American Airlines, US Airways and China Cargo Airlines.

The new cargo terminal will be built by SEA, the operator of Milan’s Malpensa and Linate airports and will be developed in conjunction with the technical department of WFS in Paris. The building will incorporate seven landside doors for trucks, a ramp for smaller vehicles, secure cages for valuable cargo and dangerous goods, and cool rooms for temperature-controlled shipments. The design will also include a 1,000 sq. mt. covered area on the air-side ramp, an additional 2,000 sq. mt. ramp area and office accommodation.         

Emilio Fernandez, WFS’ CEO Europe, said: “We are proud to have been chosen to operate what will be a magnificent new cargo facility, and intend to play an important role in helping Milan Malpensa achieve its impressive growth targets for the next six years and beyond.”

Massimiliano Introini, Managing Director Italy at WFS, added: “WFS is the only international handler at MXP and will provide the global expertise, knowledge and services that will be essential in attracting more airlines from across the globe. We also offer the considerable benefits to airlines of our extensive road feeder system connecting the WFS airport network throughout Europe.”

WFS expects to employ up to a further 50 new cargo personnel at Milan Malpensa when the cargo terminal opens.

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VIRGIN ATLANTIC CARGO REPORTS HALF-YEAR TONNAGE AND LOAD FACTOR GROWTH BUT SAYS FALLING MARKET YIELDS ARE ‘A WARNING FOR THE INDUSTRY’

Virgin Atlantic Cargo saw tonnage rise 1% in the first six months of 2014 to 111,196 tonnes and a 3% increase in its load factor to 76% network-wide.

The increases were achieved despite a 3% reduction in the airline’s cargo capacity in the six months to the end of June. However, overcapacity in the industry on major routes continued to suppress yields.

John Lloyd, Director of Cargo, said: “In terms of revenue, we are slightly ahead of our target for the year but the level of capacity some airlines are bringing onto the main markets is driving yields down to a level that will be unsustainable for many operators. This needs to be seen as a warning message for the industry.”

Yields in the first half of the year were flat in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region as well as in Asia Pacific. The drive for all-in ULD rates in the American market and increased customer buying power due to excess market capacity meant this was the market most impacted by falling yields.  

Highlights for Virgin Atlantic in the first six months included a 4% increase in tonnage on its flights from the Americas and the consistency of its year-on-year tonnage levels out of Asia Pacific despite a 6% reduction in capacity from the region, largely due to the end of the airline’s Hong Kong-Sydney route in May. Virgin Atlantic’s partnership with Virgin Australia continued to perform strongly with a 20% increase in tonnage and a 9% revenue gain. Cargo capacity on Virgin Australia’s flights from Los Angeles, which is marketed by Virgin Atlantic, was fully sold out throughout the first half of the year.  

“We have a good yield position in the market compared to many of our competitors and have done well considering how our network is proportioned with a high percentage of transatlantic operations,” John added.

As part of its transatlantic joint venture with Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic will begin a daily Airbus A330-300 service from London Heathrow direct to Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport from October 26. Following analysis of the route, Virgin is “confident we will get good load factors and it will be a profitable route for us,” he continued.

Cost efficiencies continue to be achieved as a result of the co-location of Virgin Atlantic and Delta cargo handling operations. In the first half of 2014, Orlando and Miami became the latest stations where the two airlines now share the same handling facilities, following similar moves in New York JFK and Boston last year.

In April, Virgin Atlantic Cargo reported a healthy turnover of £225.3m for 2013, exceeding expectations in a challenging global market. Last year saw the airline achieve the highest ever average cargo load factor in its 30-year history of 76%, up 6% year-on-year and well ahead of the industry average. Tonnage rose 5% to 224,500 tonnes for the year.

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About Virgin Atlantic Cargo

At Virgin Atlantic Cargo, customers are at the heart of everything we do and it’s our passion for customer service that ranks us among the best airlines in the world, with 13 international ‘Cargo Airline of the Year’ awards since 2002.

In 2013, our turnover of £225.3m exceeded expectations in a challenging global market and meant we outperformed the market for the second consecutive year. Our tonnage rose 5% to 224,500 tonnes last year in a market that declined 0.5% overall and we recorded the highest ever cargo load factor in our 30-year history of 76%, up 6% year-on-year and well ahead of the industry average.

Today our customers enjoy flying their cargo with Virgin Atlantic to more than 350 destinations worldwide, including those of our partner Virgin Australia. Our own direct services operate from Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Orlando, San Francisco and Washington DC in the Americas as well as destinations in the Caribbean, Hong Kong and Shanghai in China, Dubai, Delhi and Mumbai in India, Tokyo in Japan, Lagos in Nigeria, Vancouver in Canada, and Johannesburg and Cape Town in South Africa.

RUSLAN INTERNATIONAL AND DSV ENABLE MINE IN CHILE TO RESUME FULL PRODUCTION

One of Ruslan International’s An-124 freighters has successfully completed a race against time to deliver a large replacement ball mill head from Australia to a mining company operating in Chile, enabling full production to be resumed.  

The call to action required the combined expertise of DSV Australia, the Air Charter team at DSV Projects in Denmark and the outsize cargo specialists at Ruslan International to move the new mill head from the manufacturer in Perth, Western Australia, to Antofagasta in northern Chile.

The use of an An-124-100 transport aircraft was essential for the movement because of the 4.6m diameter of the 19-ton mill head. Speed was the most critical factor as the existing mill head at the mine in Chile had become badly eroded and cracked and was therefore running at a significantly reduced capacity.   

From the time of contract signature to final delivery of the mill head to its destination took 11 days; 10 days to process the required flight permit applications and to prepare.

Paul Bingley, Commercial Executive at Ruslan International, the An-124 freighter aircraft joint venture between Antonov Airlines and Volga-Dnepr Airlines, said: “Over many years we have demonstrated our expertise in providing fast transportation solutions for customers facing a loss of production when key pieces of equipment become damaged or fail altogether. In this case, working closely with our customer DSV, we ensured the mine in Chile was able to resume full production quickly by delivering the new mill head within days of the flight being requested.”  

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VOLGA-DNEPR GROUP INVITES WINNERS OF ‘FUTURE AIRLIFTER’ CONTEST TO JOIN ITS DESIGN BUREAU TEAM

Volga-Dnepr Group’s international competition to design an ‘Advanced Transport Aircraft of the 21^st 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 12-month long contest culminated in the winners being announced on 15 August 2014 at the third International Air Transport Forum (IATF-2014) in Ulyanovsk, Russia, the city where Volga-Dnepr was founded in 1990.

The winning team of Sergey Borovykh, Nikolay Turbin and Ilya Ageev presented a 200-page project for the design of a ‘Heavy Transport Aircraft Concept with New Aerodynamic Configuration’. Their proposal consisted of a full description and design solutions for a triplane aircraft of the Antonov-225 ‘Mriya’ type. The twin-boom designed aircraft with external loading capability is designed to carry ‘super heavy’ and outsize cargo suspended under a center wing section between two fuselages. The winners have now been invited to join the Volga-Dnepr Design Bureau team.

Artem Aroutyunov, Deputy Technical Director and Head of Design Bureau at Volga-Dnepr Group, said: “We launched this contest for everyone who cares about the future of transport aviation, who aspires to contribute to its development, and who has the energy and knowledge to do this. That is why we did not set age limits. The youngest participant in the contest was 22 and the eldest was 74 years of age. Through this exercise, which has realised all of our original goals, we have met a lot of talented people and received interesting, complex and detailed projects for transport aircraft and engine units from Russia, Bulgaria, Germany, Serbia and Ukraine. The best of them are real design solutions to be applied in the aviation industry.”

The contest committee was headed by Victor Tolmachev, Technical Director of Volga-Dnepr Group and Chief Designer of the unique An-124 ‘Ruslan’ transport aircraft.  

The second prize went to a team from Stuttgart in Germany that consisted of pilot Herd-Dieter Manfred Schmidt, flight instructor Manuel Schmidt and assistant professor Gunter Faust.

Alexey Komarov, a graduate of Stroganov Moscow State University of Arts and Industry, was awarded a special prize for his ‘future airlifter’ concept. The aircraft model he designed was exhibited on Volga-Dnepr Group’s exhibition stand during IATF-2014 and its supporting promotional video attracted the attention of many visitors. Earlier, this concept was shown at the China-Russia Expo in Harbin, China, and ‘Innoprom-2014’ in Yekaterinburg, Russia, and received universal recognition from guests, including representatives of the Russian Federation’s top leadership.

The winner of the contest’s special market research category looking at trends and projections for the global airfreight operations market was a team from Kharkiv Aviation Institute Department of Economics and Marketing led by Professor Vasiliy Vartanyan. The ‘Engines of the future for heavy cargo aircraft’ category was won by Nikolay Makarov, a student at Ufa State Aviation Technical University.

All of the winners received special prizes from Volga-Dnepr Group.

Artem Aroutyunov added: “In reviewing each project, we considered its novelty and originality, technical realism, evaluated its effectiveness, the level of engineering and the potential for realisation of the design. In Volga-Dnepr Design Bureau we actively work to create the concept of future transport aircraft and we want to express our gratitude to all of the contest participants. Their skills, enthusiasm and proactive approach have truly inspired us. We will do our best to apply the results of their work in Volga-Dnepr’s activities and 21^st century aviation design.”

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VIRGIN ATLANTIC APPOINTS GLOBE AIR CARGO IN DUBAI

Virgin Atlantic Cargo has appointed Globe Air Cargo as its general sales and service agent in Dubai in a move to simplify its freight and courier express sales for customers in the UAE and take advantage of the Dubai market’s strong growth forecast.

The airline carries some 5,000 tonnes a year on its daily flights from Dubai to London Heathrow. As well as the UK market, customers in Dubai use Virgin Atlantic Cargo’s network and fast air and truck connections through London to reach destinations in mainland Europe and the United States, notably New York, Miami and Ohio.

Steve Hughes, Virgin Atlantic Cargo’s Regional Vice President Sales for the EMEA region, said: “Dubai is a very important and growing market for Virgin Atlantic. As well as cargo that originates in the UAE, it is an important connecting point in our network, such as for shipments originating in Colombo, Bangladesh and Sydney that we transport to France the U.S., Canada and Mexico as well as the UK. With the UAE economy set to grow by between 4-5% in 2014, we expect to see Globe Air Cargo, as a leading GSSA in the region, further improving our performance in this market.”

He also acknowledged the strong support of Airline Cargo Resources (ACR), the airline’s former GSSA in Dubai. Virgin Atlantic Cargo previously had separate sales agency partners in the UAE for its freight and courier express services but this has now been brought together through Globe Air Cargo, part of ECS Cargo, following the start of the new contract earlier this month.  

Virgin Atlantic has served Dubai for over eight years and its daily Airbus A330-300 flights each offer some 20 tonnes of cargo capacity.

Shiranka Leo, Managing Director of Globe Air Cargo FZE, said: “Virgin Atlantic Cargo has a global reputation for the quality of its service and we are proud that it has chosen to partner with ECS Group in the UAE. The airline is well-established in the UAE market and with daily services from Dubai and a great international network beyond London, we are confident of growing its cargo and courier express business from the region.”

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About Virgin Atlantic Cargo

At Virgin Atlantic Cargo, customers are at the heart of everything we do and it’s our passion for customer service that ranks us among the best airlines in the world, with 13 international ‘Cargo Airline of the Year’ awards since 2002. 

In 2013, our turnover of £225.3m exceeded expectations in a challenging global market and meant we outperformed the market for the second consecutive year. Our tonnage rose 5% to 224,500 tonnes last year  in a market that declined 0.5% overall and we recorded the highest ever cargo load factor in our 30-year history of 76%, up 6% year-on-year and well ahead of the industry average.

Today our customers enjoy flying their cargo with Virgin Atlantic to more than 350 destinations worldwide, including those of our partner Virgin Australia. Our own direct services operate from Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Orlando, San Francisco and Washington DC in the Americas as well as destinations in the Caribbean, Hong Kong and Shanghai in China, Dubai, Delhi and Mumbai in India, Tokyo in Japan, Lagos in Nigeria, Vancouver in Canada, and Johannesburg and Cape Town in South Africa. 

Volga-Dnepr to present ‘Future Airlifter’ concept at IATF 2014

Volga-Dnepr Group is using its role as a strategic partner and participant in the Third International Air Transport Forum (IATF) at Ulyanovsk-Vostochny Airport in Ulyanovsk, Russia, on 14-16 August 2014 to present a concept for a ‘future airlifter’ as well as trying to set a new world record, displaying one of its An-124-100 freighters and sharing it expertise on various key topics in the world of aviation.

The winner of the Group’s “Advanced Transport Aircraft of the XXI Century” international contest will be announced at a special ceremony on 15 August 2014 and the prototype of a future airlifter will be unveiled.

On 16 August, Vyacheslav Maksyuta, General Director of the Russian Power Extreme Federation and Russia’s strongest man will try to set a new strength record by pulling a 50-ton An-12 turboprop aircraft. The aircraft is a robust workhorse in military, commercial and rescue operations from the Soviet era, which has previously served in the fleet of ATRAN Airlines, now part of Volga-Dnepr Group.

One of Volga-Dnepr’s unique An-124-100 freighters will be on static display throughout the Forum and will welcome guests onboard each day to gain a ‘close-up’ of this unique transport aircraft. Visitors will also be invited to find out more information as they tour a photographic exhibition entitled “Building Global Air Bridges” that demonstrates the global transport and logistics solutions provided by the Group’s multi-national team.

Experts from Volga-Dnepr will also give a series of presentations during the International Aviation Congress (IAC) taking place on 14 and 15 August. Experts will share their insights into the aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) business in Russia, aviation logistics, and prospects for the development of cargo transport aviation.

On 15 August, Volga-Dnepr will also host a special panel discussion on “Corporate Values Management as a Way for Personnel Attraction, Retention and Development” where its HR experts will talk about the company’s code of business ethics and corporate university.

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VOLGA-DNEPR GROUP CELEBRATES 80TH BIRTHDAY OF LEGENDARY CHIEF DESIGNER OF THE AN-124 AND AN-225 TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT

Volga-Dnepr Group today celebrates the 80^th birthday of Victor Tolmachev, the legendary Chief Designer of the An-124 ‘Ruslan’ and An-225 ‘Mriya’ transport aircraft, to mark his ‘outstanding contribution’ to the world of aviation.

Mr Tolmachev, who continues to serve the industry as Technical Director of Volga-Dnepr and as an advisor to the Group’s President, Alexey Isaikin, is a Doctor of Engineering Science, a Member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, and a Member of the International Academy of Authors of Scientific Discoveries and Inventions.

His successful aviation career, spanning more than 50 years, began in 1959 when he graduated with high honours from the Kharkiv Aviation Institute and joined Antonov Design Bureau (now Antonov State Enterprise) in Kiev. At Antonov, he participated in the development, creation and modification of almost every Antonov aircraft, such as the An-2, An-14, An-8, An-10, An-12, An-24, An-22, An-26, An-32 and An-28.

In Soviet aircraft industry history, Victor Tolmachev is best known as one of the designers of the giant An-124 ‘Ruslan’ and An-225 ‘Mriya’ freighter aircraft. In 1971 he was assigned as Lead Designer of the An-124 project and later, in 1985, the USSR Ministry of Aircraft Production appointed him to the position of Chief Designer of both the An-124 and An-225.

The maiden flight of the An-124 ‘Ruslan’ military transport aircraft was performed on December 24, 1982. More than 500 enterprises of the Soviet Union were involved in the production process and the aircraft went on to set 27 world records. As the world’s largest series produced freighter, the An-124 is considered to be the most successful domestic transport aviation project.

In 1989, state financing stopped and the An-124 serial production programme was terminated. The unique operating capabilities of the ‘Ruslan’ aircraft were to be preserved in the global commercial market, however, through the creation of Volga-Dnepr Airlines, and Victor Tolmachev joined Volga-Dnepr as Technical Director in 1991. It took just three months in 1992 for Volga-Dnepr, the Aviastar Production Plant and Antonov Design Bureau to obtain certification of the An-124, which received the factory name of An-124-100.

The outstanding performance characteristics of the ramp loading An-124-100 enabled Volga-Dnepr to create an entirely new market for the global transportation of unique, outsize and heavyweight air cargo. Today, the aircraft remains highly respected for its operating capabilities and performs an indispensable role in international air logistics.

 

Victor Tolmachev also personally initiated and controlled the development of special loading equipment systems that continue to enable both An-124-100 and the IL-76 freighters to provide transport and logistics solutions beyond the capability of other aircraft.

Victor Tolmachev was awarded the State prize of Ukraine for his design of the An-124. He is also the author of more than 100 scientific publications and inventions.

Volga-Dnepr Group sends its warmest congratulations to Victor Tolmachev on his 80^th birthday. His contribution to the development of aviation is respected all over the world. He is known as one of the leading protagonists of the revival of our domestic cargo aviation industry. As Technical Director of Volga-Dnepr Group he has helped to create a whole new world of air logistics possibilities that have brought valuable benefits to customers and consumers across the globe. And, he remains an inspiration to a whole new generation of talented aircraft designers and technical engineers. His legacy, however, is not complete because as Technical Director he continues to supervise the design activities of Volga-Dnepr’s projects to revive serial production of the An-124 and develop the transport aircraft of the future.      

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News Release: Volga-Dnepr to present 'Further Airlifter' concept at IATF 2014

Volga-Dnepr Group is using its role as a strategic partner and participant in the Third International Air Transport Forum (IATF) at Ulyanovsk-Vostochny Airport in Ulyanovsk, Russia, on 14-16 August 2014 to present a concept for a ‘future airlifter’ as well as trying to set a new world record, displaying one of its An-124-100 freighters and sharing it expertise on various key topics in the world of aviation.

The winner of the Group’s “Advanced Transport Aircraft of the XXI Century” international contest will be announced at a special ceremony on 15 August 2014 and the prototype of a future airlifter will be unveiled.

On 16 August, Vyacheslav Maksyuta, General Director of the Russian Power Extreme Federation and Russia’s strongest man will try to set a new strength record by pulling a 50-ton An-12 turboprop aircraft. The aircraft is a robust workhorse in military, commercial and rescue operations from the Soviet era, which has previously served in the fleet of ATRAN Airlines, now part of Volga-Dnepr Group.

One of Volga-Dnepr’s unique An-124-100 freighters will be on static display throughout the Forum and will welcome guests onboard each day to gain a ‘close-up’ of this unique transport aircraft. Visitors will also be invited to find out more information as they tour a photographic exhibition entitled “Building Global Air Bridges” that demonstrates the global transport and logistics solutions provided by the Group’s multi-national team.

Experts from Volga-Dnepr will also give a series of presentations during the International Aviation Congress (IAC) taking place on 14 and 15 August. Experts will share their insights into the aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) business in Russia, aviation logistics, and prospects for the development of cargo transport aviation.

On 15 August, Volga-Dnepr will also host a special panel discussion on “Corporate Values Management as a Way for Personnel Attraction, Retention and Development” where its HR experts will talk about the company’s code of business ethics and corporate university.

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AIR FRANCE AWARDS FIVE-YEAR CARGO AND MAIL HANDLING CONTRACT TO WORLDWIDE FLIGHT SERVICES AT PARIS-ORLY

Air France has awarded a five-year cargo and mail handling contract to Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) at Paris-Orly Airport.

This is the fifth cargo contract awarded by the airline to WFS in France in the last 12 months, following Nice, Bordeaux, Strasbourg and Marseille.  

WFS has employed and provided training for 70 new staff at Paris-Orly in support of the Air France contract, which covers the physical handling of cargo and mail, freight documentation processes, safety and security procedures, and ramp transport for 1,200 Air France flights per month.

Emilio Fernandez, CEO Europe at Worldwide Flight Services, said: “WFS is very proud and excited about this new partnership and we appreciate the long-term confidence Air France is showing in our ability to deliver the high quality of service it demands for its customers. Our aim is to extend this partnership to all of Europe.”

WFS is the world’s largest cargo handler with a network spanning 120 locations in 20 countries. At Paris-Orly, it operates 12,000m² of warehouse facilities and 1,500m² of offices. 

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About WFS

Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) was founded in 1983 and is a leading global provider of ground handling and technical services, and the world’s largest cargo handler. Today it is present at 120 major airports in 20 countries on four continents. WFS serves 300 airlines globally, including the handling of four million tonnes of cargo and 50 million airline passengers per annum. The company employs 10,000 staff worldwide and reported revenues for 2013 of €580 million.

AIRBRIDGECARGO TO ADD NEW ROUTES AND FREQUENCIES AFTER RECORD HALF-YEAR RESULT

AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC), Russia’s largest scheduled cargo airline and part of Volga-Dnepr Group, has started its 10^th anniversary year with a record performance in the first six months of 2014 as it transported 188,354 tons of cargo across its international network, up 16% on the previous year. 

The growth reflects airline’s strong market positioning on the routes linking major cargo destinations in Asia, Europe and North America as well as the success of the ABC’s own business development activities. 

Freight ton-kilometres in the 1 January-30 June, 2014 period, rose by 19%, exceeding the industry average growth of 4.4%.

AirBridgeCargo also continued to out-perform the market in terms of its average load factors in the first half of 2014, reporting a network-wide average of 72%. This compares to an industry average of 45% in the first 5 months of the year.

During the first 6 months of 2014, ABC continued to extend its international network and strengthen its position on existing markets. In the United States, it added a second new route to Dallas/Fort Worth and also increased frequencies to Chicago. In Europe, ABC launched flights to Leipzig, Munich, and Malmo, and opened a direct service from Frankfurt to Chicago.

By adding new destinations and improving connectivity with its Moscow hub, AirBridgeCargo now offers an extensive choice of routes for its international customers as well as 384 connections with the delivery time below 48 hours on almost all of its origin-destination pairs.

ABC’s commitment to ongoing improvement of its service levels delivered further benefits for its customers in the first half of the year, with its “Delivered-As-Promised” index staying again above 80%.

The airline’s focus on developing its home market and attracting more import traffic into Russia resulted in a 13% YTD growth in tonnage on its routes to Russia in the first six months of 2014. The highest growth was generated on routes from Asia and North America with 29% and 23% growth respectively. The total volume of imports carried by ABC into Russia increased to 42,676 tons during the half-year.

Denis Ilin, Executive President of AirBridgeCargo Airlines, said: “The challenges which the global air cargo market continues to face have not held back ABC’s development. We have achieved our goals for the first half of the year and lay down ambitious plans for the second half of 2014, which will include launching of more new routes and increasing our frequencies on a number of existing routes, as well as growing our fleet. We will surely keep focus on our home market, not only by developing additional import business to Russia but also by launching domestic routes using the Boeing 737 freighter fleet of Atran Airlines, another part of Volga-Dnepr Group. We are on track for good 2014 and projecting our total tonnage for the year to exceed 400,000 tons of cargo.”

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VOLGA-DNEPR’S IL-76TD-90VD FLEET SEES OIL AND GAS DELIVERIES DOUBLE IN FIRST HALF OF 2014

Volga-Dnepr Group’s Engineering & Logistics Center (ELC) developed a special loading frame that provided a timely and cost efficient solution for a customer moving a 30-ton oil and gas shipment onboard its IL-76TD-90VD from Johor Bahru, Malaysia, to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia. 

The oil and gas shipment consisted of five pieces, including 13-metre pipes weighing 18 tons. Normally, loading such cargo would require the use of six tons of special loading equipment but at the time of the customer enquiry for the flight, Volga-Dnepr already had an aircraft positioned in the Asia Pacific region so the ELC team set about creating a solution that prevented the additional time and cost of moving the specialist loading equipment from Europe.

Azat Yakupov, Senior Load Planning Engineer, Dangerous Cargo at Volga-Dnepr Airlines, said: “We created a solution by developing a compact 600kg frame that enabled the pipes to be loaded using the aircraft’s roller tracks. Together with my ELC colleagues we prepared the necessary drawings and contracted a company in Johor Bahru to manufacture the frame for us. This enabled us to load the shipment safely at Johor Bahru Senai International Airport using the IL-76TD-90VD’s onboard crane as well as an external crane and lifting equipment without any delay to the planned flight schedule.”

Volga-Dnepr says air charter sales of IL-76TD-90VD flights carrying oil and gas equipment doubled in the first half of 2014 to 32% of all flights operated by the aircraft compared to the opening six months of last year. Volga-Dnepr Airlines has a fleet of five new generation IL-76TD-90VD aircraft, which are approved by ICAO for global operations.  

“The customer for this particular oil and gas cargo delivery was our longstanding partner, Panalpina. The modernized IL-76TD-90VD has developed an excellent reputation in the international air cargo market and especially in the oil and gas industry and this is reflected in the doubling of our business in this market segment in the first six months of 2014,” added Georgy Sokolov, Regional Sales Manager of Volga-Dnepr.

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VIRGIN ATLANTIC CARGO GOES FOR ‘GREEN’ CONTAINER FLEET

Virgin Atlantic Cargo has taken delivery of its first 802 lightweight air cargo containers and will add a further 250 new units in the coming weeks  as part of its sustainability programme to save fuel and reduce its carbon footprint

The airline will ultimately replace all 3,200 of its LD3 units. The first phase of its new composite container fleet will enable Virgin Atlantic to achieve further fuel efficiencies and reduce its CO² emissions by an additional 565 tons in 2014.

Neil Ferdinando, Virgin Atlantic’s General Manager Cargo Operations, said: “This is one of a wide range of sustainability initiatives across the entire airline and is closely linked to our brand values. We have been trialling lightweight containers over several months and with the first delivery we have replaced 25% of our LD3s with composite containers that are 16 kilos per unit lighter. This provides a dual benefit to the airline of improved fuel consumption and makes another valuable contribution towards our target of reducing aircraft CO² emissions by 30% by 2020.”            

Virgin Atlantic is sourcing its lightweight containers from Nordisk and Advanced Composite Structures (ACS).

Fleet improvement is one of the airline’s main commitments to reducing emissions. The 10 Airbus A333 that joined Virgin Atlantic’s fleet in 2012 and its new Boeing 787-9s, which commence deliveries in the autumn of 2014, are both more efficient per trip than the aircraft they replace. As well as the introduction of new fuel management systems, Virgin Atlantic continues to work behind the scenes to make sustainable fuels a commercial reality, which could lead to their use as soon as 2015.

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