Volga-Dnepr takes delivery of 10th 747-8 freighter

The newly delivered aircraft is the fifth of 20 Boeing 747-8s ordered by the airline group in July, bringing subsidiary AirBridgeCargo’s fleet to 16 747-class freighters, the company said in a statement.    Volga-Dnepr has taken delivery of its 10th Boeing 747-8 freighter aircraft, the company said in a statement.
   The newly delivered aircraft is the fifth of 20 747-8s ordered by the airline group in July. The group includes oversize and heavyweight air cargo specialist Volga-Dnepr Airlines and international scheduled airfreight carrier AirBridgeCargo (ABC).
   The latest 747-8, delivered officially at a ceremony in Everett, Wash., brings ABC’s total fleet to 16 747-class freighters as part of the company’s long-term fleet enhancement strategy.
   Future deliveries will allow ABC to phase out of the remaining 747-400Fs in its fleet, Volda-Dnepr said.
   Meanwhile, ABC also announced the launch of a twice-weekly 747-8F service from Seattle, Wash. to Moscow, Russia via Chicago, Ill. and Europe, making Seattle the airline’s sixth online gateway in North America.
   “The addition of Seattle to AirBridgeCargo’s growing international network and the delivery of our latest -8 Freighter is not only strategically important to the development of ABC, it also allows our Group to fulfill its obligations under the long-term logistics support program agreement with Boeing and its partners for the transportation of aerospace cargoes,” Volga-Dnepr Group President Alexey Isaykin said. “For Volga-Dnepr Group, we are confident our fleet of An-124 and 747 freighters will enable us to successfully compete and fulfill our commitments to our customers.”
   “We are confident that the tenth Boeing 747-8F delivered to Volga-Dnepr Group will help the company to implement its ambitious plans in the global cargo transportation market,” added Marty Bentrott, vice president Russia, Central Asia and Middle East sales for commercial airplanes at Boeing. “In return, the Boeing Company intends to support and maintain this strategic partnership, which combines the strengths of our companies and our unique experience of developing joint solutions in the interests of aerospace industry customers.”