Volga-Dnepr Group has been facilitating global flows of healthcare products through its Cargo Supermarket concept.

The August operations of two carriers within the Group – Volga-Dnepr Airlines and AirBridgeCargo Airlines – assisted the pharmaceutical industry by organising the delivery of 100 CSafe RKN containers with vaccines onboard.

Most of the shipments presupposed one-way leasing with CSafe and were airfreighted from Amsterdam, the Netherlands to Shanghai, China for DSV, including a record-number liftoff with 41 RKN containers per flight.

The Group was also able to answer the call for assistance in another part of the world too, when freight forwarder Quantum Logistics, Brazil recently reached out to the Volga-Dnepr charter team for a solution to ship pharmaceutical-related equipment from Brazil to Puerto Rico.

Yulia Celetaria, pharma director at AirBridgeCargo Airlines said: “Within Volga-Dnepr we have prioritised the healthcare industry by making sure we respond to each request with cost-efficient and timely solutions. Not only do these transportations contribute to stable flows of healthcare products, but also serve as a great example of our Cargo Supermarket in action. Our two Group carriers have supported the pharma industry by shaping a unique solution in our commitment to a common goal of supporting global health, which we have been doing for more than 30 years of operations.”

The charter team were able to facilitate Quantum’s request by optimising on the regional availability of one of the fleet’s twelve AN-124 aircraft, which was due to arrive at Brasilia airport with inbound cargo that week – enabling cost savings accordingly.

Once the time for the charter arrived, the inbound flight to Brazil was offloaded, and the aircraft was then repositioned to Viracopos Airport for loading where it was proudly monitored by local aviation fans who marked the import and export charter flights as a sign of Brazil’s active air cargo industry despite current global conditions.

Arriving in Viracopos the aircraft was met both by the cargo and the Quantum Logistics team, who had prepared all customs documents and trucking arrangements in time for departure. With the size of the AN-124-100 cargo cabin, Volga-Dnepr was able to provide increased charter capacity for cargo otherwise loadable only to one level on commercial freighter aircraft.

After arrival in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the equipment was inspected before being dispatched again to support international thermal controlled supply chains which are currently in high demand.

Robison Gasperi, managing director, Quantum Logistics, said: “the demand just appeared, and it took only one day for Quantum to present the solution and sign the Charter Agreement, thanks to the Volga-Dnepr team who were able to provide a great customer experience. An exclusive fleet of 14 sider trailers was used in the operation, which shows the dimension of the aircraft’s cargo capacity, – with space still left over”.