Volga-Dnepr Airlines - Oversized Air Cargo Transportation for the Offshore Industry

For 21 years, Volga-Dnepr Group has been successfully representing the Russian airfreight industry in the international market. The Group includes two award-winning cargo airlines, Volga-Dnepr Airlines and AirBridgeCargo Airlines.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines is a charter airline and the world's largest transporter of outsize and super-heavy air cargo. AirBridgeCargo Airlines is Russia's largest international scheduled cargo airline. Overall, the Group employs 3,000 staff worldwide and has representative offices in nine countries.

Outsize and super-heavy air cargo transportation services

The story of Volga-Dnepr begins in the late 1980s and today is it recognised not only as one of the greatest success stories in the air cargo industry but for also creating the new market for outsize and heavyweight air cargo. It starts with the giant AN-124-100 military cargo aircraft, the world's largest series-produced ramp freighter with a payload of 120t and a unique operating capability.

The outstanding operating capability of the AN-124-100 revolutionised the logistics market. Companies in major industry sectors such as oil and gas, heavy construction, energy generation, aerospace and the automotive industry no longer needed to suffer the uncertainties of sending critical cargoes on long road and sea journeys that could take weeks. Using the AN-124, they were able to achieve delivery times measured in hours, significantly improving their planning and productivity.

Oversized air cargo transportation for the offshore industry

Over the past 20 years, the company has operated to over 900 airports and airfields, transporting gigantic excavators and yachts, missile launchers, airplanes and helicopters, elephants and whales, entire mini-factories and power plants, the latest release of Beaujolais Nouveau wine, and priceless museum collections.

Deliveries of equipment for the heavy machine building, oil and gas and aerospace sectors are most in demand. Many projects simply could not have been conceived without the unique capabilities of the AN-124 freighter, such as the project to deliver 15,000t of oversized cargo to the alpine El Yopal airport in Columbia for British Petroleum.

Deliveries of oversized loads under difficult conditions, like humanitarian supplies to areas affected by conflict or natural disaster, have further demonstrated the robustness and reliability of the AN-124 aircraft.

Transportation logistics for offshore projects

More recently, Volga-Dnepr has launched a new Engineering & Logistics Center (ELC) to focus on the creation of tailored services for complex worldwide transportation logistics projects, extending its customer solutions beyond simply providing aircraft capacity.

Leading air cargo carrier for the offshore industry

Based on its total operating results, Volga-Dnepr Group is now ranked among the top ten air cargo carriers in the world. Its annual freight turnover amounts to 1.856 billion tonne-kilometres with 243,000t of cargo carried successfully. The Group's sales turnover is US$1.252bn.