Volga-Dnepr adds 5th new IL-76 freighter

   Volga-Dnepr Airlines has added a fifth new IL-76TD-90VD cargo plane to its fleet.
   The plane, which has a 50-ton cargo-carrying capacity, was built at the Chkalov Aviation Factory in Tashkent under the terms of a contract signed by OAK-Transport Aircraft and Volga-Dnepr Leasing during the Moscow Air Show in 2007. The contract included an order for five IL-76TD-90VDs for Volga-Dnepr.
   “At the present time a program of further acquisitions of more IL-76TD-90VDs is being considered to reinforce Volga-Dnepr Airlines’ fleet,” said Andrew Pakhomov, general director of Volga-Dnepr Leasing, in a statement. “The aircraft has successfully demonstrated its excellent performance capability in the international air cargo market and therefore Volga-Dnepr Group forecasts it needs to expand its Ilyushin fleet to 20 airplanes by 2030.”
   Volga-Dnepr is currently the only carrier in the world operating a fleet of five new IL-76TD-90VD freighters.