Volga-Dnepr delegates last week visited Kitakyushu city in Japan to discuss further cooperation under a memorandum of understanding signed last year between the airline group and the city and the Fukuoka prefecture.

Director for APAC Development, Dmitry Vorontsov met with city mayor Kenji Kitahashi to talk about the status of the MoU and identify the next steps for cooperation, which includes developing the air cargo ecosystem at Kitakyushu Airport.

The 24-hour offshore airport can facilitate sea and air transport and stakholders are reviewing a possible 3,000 metre extension of the existing runway to stimulate air cargo operations and accommodate wide-body freighters like the An-124-100/150 and Boeing 747 and 777 freighters.

Dmitry believes further expansion at the airport could mean favourable conditions for local freight forwarders and uninterrupted supply chains for international manufacturers in the region.

“Our joint effort will allow us to cover the major part of Japan and include Fukuoka Prefectural into our scheduled network, as well as operate charter flights and programs,’ Dmitry noted.

Volga-Dnepr has been present in Japan for more than 30 years. The group has operated numerous charter flights and managed to build effective relations for scheduled cargo operations using its versatile fleet of freighters.