SAT Airlines has started to carryout cargo charter flights from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to Seoul under a contractwith DHL Express, Russia & CIS EnergyNewswire reported.

SAT Airlines commercial directorSergei Burdinsky told Interfax. "A contractto charter our An-24 was signedwith DHL Express in February 2007for one year. In the future, if neitherof the sides object, the contract will beextended. The plane will fly to Incheonairport three times a week: on Tuesday,Thursday and Saturday and on Monday,Wednesday and Friday – back toSakhalin," he said.

Burdinsky said that a SAT AirlinesAn-12 has been carrying out charterflights to Seoul for three years already,under a contract with Panalpinaas part of the Sakhalin-2 project. Asource in the DHL Express office inYuzhno-Sakhalinsk told Interfax thatthe flight to Seoul on the An-24 is thefirst DHL Express charter flight inthe Russian Far East. "We charteredthe SAT Airlines liner together withSakhalin Energy, but freight will betransported to Seoul not only for theSakhalin-2 project, but for other offshoreprojects also, and for any otherclients," the source said.