Volga-Dnepr Group nine months revenue up 50%

Volga-Dnepr Group nine months revenue up 50% Russia’s Volga-Dnepr Group today reported a 49.6 percent increase in sales revenue for the first nine months of 2007 to $720 million, which it said reflects strong growth in Volga-Dnepr Airlines' charter business and from the scheduled operations of AirBridgeCargo Airlines.
   Volga-Dnepr Airlines' outsize and heavyweight charter business increased sales 59 percent after three quarters to $491 million, up from $308 million in the same period in 2006. The charter airline transported 33,207 tons of cargo on board its AN-124-100 freighter fleet during the first nine months of this year, a 17 percent increase. Cargo moved on the new generation IL-76TD-90VD freighter increased 13 percent to 24,780 tons.
   AirBridgeCargo’s sales after nine months of 2007 increased 31 percent year-on-year to $204 million with volume on its Boeing 747F fleet up 29 percent to 70,494 tons.
   Alexey Isaikin, president of Volga-Dnepr Group, expects similar revenue growth for the full year.