A 190-tonne generator bound for a gas-powered electricity plant in the Armenian capital Yerevan will be the heaviest item ever delivered by air freight, according to officials at Frankfurt-Hahn Airport. While larger loads have been carried by air, they have always comprised several items, “this is the largest single item ever delivered by air,” the airport said. The generator will be transported by a Ukrainian-built Antonov 225 aircraft. … [Read more...] about EUROPE & CIS: Largest single piece of air cargo

AirBridgeCargo (ABC), Volga-Dnepr Group’s scheduled cargo airline, has begun operating weekly flights to Kabul (Afghanistan) effective 14 July. The carrier is utilising B747-200/300 aircraft and will operate scheduled charters from Frankfurt to Kabul with a payload of almost 100 tonnes. The first flight carried armoured vehicles on board which have been handled by local company Ariana in the airport of Kabul. … [Read more...] about EUROPE & CIS: AirBridgeCargo starts weekly 747Fs to Kabul

Cargo volume declined five per cent in the first half of 2009 for Volga-Dnepr, Russia’s biggest air cargo carrier. The decline, to 835,000 tonne kilometers in the six months to 30 June, contrasted with an average fall of between 19 and 23 per cent for rival Russian carriers, Volga-Dnepr said. The group’s scheduled cargo carrier, AirBridgeCargo Airlines, boosted traffic by five per cent to 551,000 tonne kilometers. AirBridgeCargo’s volume was up 4.6 per cent … [Read more...] about EUROPE & CIS: Mixed results for Volga-Dnepr

Polet Airlines took delivery of the first of three IL-96-400T aircraft in mid-July which it acquired from Ilyushin Finance Company (IFC). The contract includes the delivery of three new build airplanes in 2009 and an option for two more jets in 2010. The IL-96-400T is the latest modification of the IL-96 family with a longer fuselage, new engines and new navigation system which enables the company to operate the airplane in international service without limitation. … [Read more...] about EUROPE & CIS: Polet takes delivery of first IL-96-400T

Accident investigators are now stating they believe Air France Flight 447 did not break apart in flight, but instead impacted the Atlantic Ocean at high speed in the direction of flight, and with the underside of the fuselage striking the sea first, according to the first interim report from the French air accident bureau (BEA). The lead investigator for the BEA, Alain Bouillard, said that the conclusion was reached after visual examination of the Airbus A330-200 debris, including the tail … [Read more...] about EUROPE & CIS: AF447 likely crashed into ocean intact

Dutch freighter specialist Martinair Cargo launched a new twice weekly India service to the east coast city of Chennai from 2 July using Boeing 747-400ERF aircraft from Hong Kong, Chennai, Sharjah and Amsterdam. According to Martinair senior VP Cargo Sales and Marketing, Meta Ullings, current market trends offer sufficient potential. By expanding capacity, Martinair Cargo hopes to satisfy multiple market demands; the growing demand for airfreight from China to India and the Middle East, … [Read more...] about EUROPE & CIS: Martinair launches new Chennai service