Volga-Dnepr Group has reported total sales of US$1.1 billion for 2007, 51 per cent higher than in 2006. The company said it had achieved substantial growth in the specialist air charter market for the carriage of outsize and heavy cargoes, up 62 per cent. The group’s scheduled cargo airline, AirBridgeCargo saw turnover rise by 32 per cent in 2007 to over US$300 million.
The group attributed its rising fortunes to a competitive pricing policy and strong development across the group’s businesses. While global market growth rates in 2007 averaged 6 per cent, the volume of cargo carried by Volga-Dnepr Group over the reporting period grew by 41 per cent to 193,000 tonnes.
With healthy profits banked, the group said it will continue with its fleet expansion and upgrade programmes, the development of its transportation infrastructure and the growth of its route network.
In 2007, Volga-Dnepr Airlines grew its sales from air cargo charter operations by 62 per cent to US$767 million. In the outsize and heavy cargo segment, the company still accounts for more than half of this market globally.