Volga-Dnepr Group has been honoured with a special award to mark its ‘Contribution to the development of Russian air transport’ in the annual Wings of Russia Awards to recognise excellence in commercial air transport.
Sergey Shklyanik (left) with Alexander Bashkov, Executive President of Volga-Dnepr Airlines
Sergey Shklyanik (left) with Alexander Bashkov, Executive President of Volga-Dnepr Airlines
Sergey Shklyanik, Senior Vice President of Volga-Dnepr was presented with the Group’s award at a ceremony in Moscow by Valery Okulov, Russia’s Deputy Minister of Transport. This is the thirteenth Wings of Russia award to be presented to the Group. Its charter airline, Volga-Dnepr Airlines, and its scheduled cargo airline, AirBridgeCargo Airlines, have previously won the ‘Airline of the Year - Cargo Carrier on Domestic and International Routes’ award. Volga-Dnepr Airlines has been honoured seven times and AirBridgeCargo on four occasions since the awards began in 1997. This is the first time the Wings of Russia Awards has included a category to acknowledge a company’s outstanding contribution to the development of Russian aviation. Volga-Dnepr’s most recent award, prior to this latest success, came in 2013 when it won the ‘Best Business Project in Russian Civil Aviation’ category. This new award comes as Volga-Dnepr prepares to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its first commercial flight. Since the Group was launched in 1990, Volga-Dnepr Airlines has established itself as the world’s largest transporter of unique, outsize and heavyweight air cargo while AirBridgeCargo, which commenced operations in 2004, is now one of the world’s fastest-growing scheduled cargo airlines serving major trade routes in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific from its hub in Moscow. Volga-Dnepr Group employs some 3,300 air cargo professionals around the world and operates a fleet of 13 Boeing 747 freighters, including six of the latest generation B747-8Fs, 10 Antonov An-124-100 ‘Ruslan’ freighters, five modernised IL-76TD-90VD and two Boeing 737-400Fs. It also has a thriving aircraft maintenance and repair business, Volga-Dnepr Technics. Volga-Dnepr’s customers include major global corporations in sectors such as oil and gas, aerospace, automotive, pharmaceuticals, mining and heavy construction as well as international government departments and humanitarian agencies. Sergey Shklyanik said: “Over all these years, our company has worked to boost the level of service for our customers and to be recognised as a distinguished Russian corporation in the international market. We encouraged every contribution from our employees to the company’s development, and we are very excited to receive this highest award in the year of Volga-Dnepr’s 25th anniversary.”