Ruslan International, part of Volga-Dnepr Group, and air charter broker, Air Partner, have been entrusted with carrying 18 tonnes of artefacts from Rabat in Morocco to Paris Vatry in France for an exhibition of ‘Medieval Morocco’ at the world famous Louvre Museum. The exhibition includes pieces of art such as architectural decoration, textiles, ivory and calligraphy dating back to the 11th-15th centuries. Open to the public from 17 October 2014 until 19 January 2015, it provides a new look at the period when the western Islamic world was at the height of its glory, as much in terms of its artistic production as its place in history, and recognises this powerful civilisation’s position at the centre of diplomatic and trade networks. The total value of the exhibition pieces carried onboard Volga-Dnepr’s An-124 freighter cannot be estimated as the artefacts are priceless. The cargo included some pieces up to 4m in height. The delivery was completed by Ruslan International, the An-124 joint venture between Volga-Dnepr and Antonov Airlines, and was operated on behalf of leading aircraft charter company, Air Partner, for the National Foundation of Museums of Morocco. “It was very important for the customer that this valuable cargo was transported safely and on-time to France to complete the necessary preparation work at the Louvre before the exhibition opens to the public. We ensured the artworks were delivered with great care and precision in accordance with our customers’ requirements using our longstanding experience of moving sensitive, high value shipments all over the world,” said Ekaterina Andreeva, Sales Executive at Volga-Dnepr Airlines. Thierry Zemouli, Freight Manager for Air Partner France, commented: “With over 50 years’ experience, the team at Air Partner really understands the challenges involved with transporting high value cargo safely and on time. Our unique knowledge and experience from across the globe means that we can tailor every flight to our clients’ unique requirements, delivering the most cost-effective and efficient solution every time. We are also delighted to have the opportunity to work with Ruslan International and Volga-Dnepr again, further building on our long-standing relationship which enables us, together, to provide our clients with a truly exceptional level of service.” Volga-Dnepr has considerable expertise in managing deliveries of high value cargo for both state museums and owners of private collections. These shipments have included transporting the famous ‘Terracotta Army’ sculptures of Chinese warriors from Shanghai to Guam onboard one of its IL-76TD aircraft, and the delivery of more than 100 paintings of the Tretyakov Gallery holdings from the 18th-20th centuries from Moscow to Beijing. The airline was also asked to transport treasured artworks from the Hermitage Museum to the Kuwait National Museum.