Participants at the meeting included German Gref from the ministry of economic development and Alexey Kudrin of the ministry of finance. The formation of a new cargo hub in Krasnoyarsk, the participants agreed, is one of the most important goals towards supporting the economic development and production capability of the new, united Krasnoyarsk region.

The major infrastructure reconstruction at ‘Emelianovo’ Airport will be government-financed, providing a base for the development of a full cargo hub.

Volga-Dnepr Group has used a team of special experts to evaluate the best site for a Siberian airport hub and also established working partnerships with KrasAir airlines, the managing company of Krasnoyarsk airport and the administration of Krasnoyarsk region to drive the project forward. Swissport, one of the world’s leading ground handling organizations, is also participating in the creation of the hub.

AirBridge Cargo (ABC), Volga-Dnepr Group’s scheduled cargo airline, has already launched Boeing 747-200 freighter flights from Frankfurt to Krasnoyarsk, moving oil and gas equipment for big international oil projects in the Sakhalin region. At ‘Emelianovo’ airport, cargo is transferred from ABC’s 747 aircraft onto an IL-76 freighter bound for Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

The start of the new scheduled cargo service is helping to meet growing demand for air transportation services between Russia and Sakhalin Island, where oil and gas fields are developing rapidly. Since the beginning of April, AirBridge Cargo has increased its scheduled cargo flights from China to Europe via Krasnoyarsk to seven services per week.

“The flights with KrasAir have started the programme of developing a system for cargo delivery around Russia and the CIS via Russian hubs. By linking these services with ABC’s network between Europe and Asia, we are forming a new, unique solution for logistics projects in Russia and the CIS. We expect to see continuing high demand for these services from customers in this market,” said Stan Wraight, Vice President of Volga-Dnepr Group.

AirBridge Cargo expects to increase its number of flights from Krasnoyarsk as its position as a strategic regional hub develops. A hub based at ‘Emelianovo’ airport will help to solve problems that currently exist for deliveries to Northern territories and activate the creation of a modernized transport network. The partnership of AirBridge Cargo and KrasAir airlines aims to unite efforts to develop the cargo transportation market around Russia and the CIS.