Volga-Dnepr expands management, B747 freighter operation capacity

Volga-Dnepr expands management, B747 freighter operation capacity    Volga-Dnepr Group, the Russian all-cargo airline, has appointed Andy Vargoczky to global sales and marketing director of its Boeing 747 freighter operation AirBridge Cargo.
   Prior to joining AirBridge, Vargoczky headed global sales and services for Austrian Cargo.
   Volga-Dnepr also appointed Anton Khodakovsky to sales manager in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States for AirBridge. He served as head of sales and customer service is Russia for British Airways World Cargo.
   AirBridge began operations in May and operates four B747 flights a week: two to Shanghai and two from Beijing to Luxembourg via Moscow and Novosibirsk.
   The carrier’s fleet comprises two B747-200 freighters which were bought by Volga-Dnepr from Alitalia. Volga-Dnepr, known for its Antonov 124 heavy lift freighters, took delivery of its first B747-200 freighter in April. The second plane is due to arrive in August.
   “As soon as the second Boeing 747-200F enters service in the AirBridge Cargo fleet, the airline’s route network and frequency of operations will grow to seven weekly flights: two flights from Beijing, two from Shanghai, three from Tianjin to Luxembourg, via Moscow, Novosibirsk and Krasnoyarsk,” Volga-Dnepr said.
   Volga-Dnepr plans to amass a fleet of six 747 freighters and four to six Russian-built cargo plans in the next five to six years. “Boeing 747 freighters will be operated on the main long-haul routes and Russian-built Tu-204Cs and IL-76s in a regional feeder network,” the air carrier said.