Russian airline AirBridgeCargo (ABC), a subsidiary of Volga-Dnepr Group, took delivery this week of its first purpose-built Boeing 777 freighter.
The plane is a small, but welcome, addition of freighter capacity to a transport market characterized by limited supply because of the withdrawal of passenger flights due to the coronavirus.
Volga-Dnepr will operate the aircraft through a sale-leaseback agreement with Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, a large lessor of 777 freighters, Boeing announced. In 2018, Volga-Dnepr signed a letter of intent to purchase 29 Boeing 777s.
Volga-Dnepr is among the world’s largest Boeing freighter operators, flying 17 747 freighters and five 737 freighters, including 13 747-8F, four 747-400ERF, two 737-800BCF and three 737-400SF types.
The 777 freighter has a cargo payload of 112 tons and has surpassed the 747-400 in fuel efficiency and carrying capacity.
Boeing (NYSE: BA) has received 231 orders since it began making the 777 freighter in 2005. Volga-Dnepr is the 19th airline to use the twin-engine freighter.
In related news, Volga-Dnepr this week completed a 30-ton shipment of electric power-generating equipment from India to Vietnam for a 450-megawatt solar power plant.
The cargo was transported on board one of the airline’s heavy-duty Antonov AN-124 freighters, which was chartered by Bee Logistics Corp. on behalf of Advanced Information Technologies Corp.
Related News:
Russian airlines expand 737 freighter services
Russian airline completes massive airlift of medical supplies for France
GECAS readies 777-300 freighter conversion program
Click for more FreightWaves/American Shipper articles by Chris Gillis.
Supply Chain AI Symposium
Past the hype. Join operators, founders, and enterprise leaders figuring out how to deploy AI in supply chain.
F3: Future of Freight Festival
Industry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.
Past the hype. Join operators, founders, and enterprise leaders figuring out how to deploy AI in supply chain.
The Old Post • Chicago, IL Register NowIndustry-defining keynotes, rapid-fire technology demos, and industry leaders networking in experiences across Chattanooga - plus the inaugural F3 Awards Dinner featuring the FreightTech and Shipper of Choice reveals.
The Signal at Chattanooga Choo Choo • Chattanooga, TN Register Now