当前位置：新闻动态
Volga-Dnepr sees more cargo coming on China-Europe routes
来源： 编辑：编辑部 发布：2020/03/26 09:15:44
VOLGA-DNEPR executive president Konstantin Vekshin says the group is well positioned to meet any coronavirus-related cargo capacity shortages.
The airline group currently operates 16 Boeing 747s, eight AN-124s and three IL-76s across AirBridgeCargo (ABC) and Volga-Dnepr. It previously operated 21 B747s but this has been reduced in line with the market conditions at the end of last year.
On the market this year, Mr Vekshin said in an interview that there was not an unexpected spike in westbound demand after factories in China started to re-open following an extended Lunar New Year break. However, things have been picking up over recent weeks, reported London's Air Cargo News.
In the opposite direction, however, there had been an early increase in demand to meet requirements for medical products in China.
"We are now seeing more and more cargo coming in both directions," he said. "And we are anticipating additional demand in relation to outbound cargo. We are also anticipating what is going to happen in Europe over the coming weeks.
"We are ready and will unleash our entire fleet to help our customers and continue to support the bridges that we have been building over the last 30 years."
While the group is ramping up the availability of aircraft for charter and reducing scheduled operations, Mr Vekshin said this reflects customer requirements. He explained that over the past year, the market has become more ad hoc in nature and demand harder to predict.
"The demands are very specific right now, reaction times need to be different, flexibility should be different. The decision to switch gears in the direction of dedicated charters, ad hoc flights, has been dictated by the market. Given our expertise, we have been doing well managing all those short-term, short-notice requirements."
He added that ABC is still offering scheduled services and when the market needs a more predictable capacity provision, it will ramp this operation back up when the market is ready.
The airline group currently operates 16 Boeing 747s, eight AN-124s and three IL-76s across AirBridgeCargo (ABC) and Volga-Dnepr. It previously operated 21 B747s but this has been reduced in line with the market conditions at the end of last year.
On the market this year, Mr Vekshin said in an interview that there was not an unexpected spike in westbound demand after factories in China started to re-open following an extended Lunar New Year break. However, things have been picking up over recent weeks, reported London's Air Cargo News.
In the opposite direction, however, there had been an early increase in demand to meet requirements for medical products in China.
"We are now seeing more and more cargo coming in both directions," he said. "And we are anticipating additional demand in relation to outbound cargo. We are also anticipating what is going to happen in Europe over the coming weeks.
"We are ready and will unleash our entire fleet to help our customers and continue to support the bridges that we have been building over the last 30 years."
While the group is ramping up the availability of aircraft for charter and reducing scheduled operations, Mr Vekshin said this reflects customer requirements. He explained that over the past year, the market has become more ad hoc in nature and demand harder to predict.
"The demands are very specific right now, reaction times need to be different, flexibility should be different. The decision to switch gears in the direction of dedicated charters, ad hoc flights, has been dictated by the market. Given our expertise, we have been doing well managing all those short-term, short-notice requirements."
He added that ABC is still offering scheduled services and when the market needs a more predictable capacity provision, it will ramp this operation back up when the market is ready.