OREANDA-NEWS. On 08 July 2008 was announced, that the promotion of all-cargo services from Asia to Russia was top of the agenda for the AirBridgeCargo Airlines team that participated in Air Cargo China in Shanghai (June 17-19th).

The bi-annual event is one of the largest and best attended air cargo and logistics exhibitions in China, attracting some 9,000 visitors. These include representatives of China’s freight forwarding community and shippers.

AirBridgeCargo is the only all-cargo scheduled carrier offering a direct, non-stop, main deck freighter service to Moscow from all three key markets in China: Shanghai (Yangtze River Delta), Hong Kong (Pearl River Delta), and Beijing (Bohai Rim Economic Zone). It is also the only cargo airline offering services to both SVO and DME airports in Moscow and to offer local teams of experts to deal with all customer requirements.

At the event, visitors had the opportunity to meet with ABC’s multinational team. This feature, atypical for Russian carriers, offers customers an additional convenience, easing communication and facilitating understanding of local rules and practices.

Another advantage communicated at Air Cargo China was the overall strength of ABC’s parent, Volga-Dnepr Group, its position as the most powerful cargo enterprise in Russia and its international reputation for quality of service, operational reliability and customer service. This is also demonstrated by Volga-Dnepr’s ability to invest in the best and youngest fleet in Russia and the CIS for AirBridgeCargo operations, its new Boeing 747-400ER Freighter fleet and its investment in new generation Boeing 747-8Fs that will begin to join the ABC fleet in 2010. Volga-Dnepr Group is also spearheading the development of air cargo hubs in both Moscow and Krasnoyarsk.

Robert Song, Commercial Director – Global, commented: “The exhibition came as a timely opportunity to stress ABC's competitive advantages in serving the Russian market where we continue expanding and improving our service. Russia and CIS countries are a very attractive and growing consumer market, home to ambitious projects in infrastructure and exploration, and a promising destination for foreign investment. It is, therefore, no surprise that our cargo volume to Russia has grown remarkably, and we know that we have so far only ‘scratched the surface’ and that there is much more potential for us. As Russia’s biggest cargo carrier, we not only accommodate this growing demand, we also stimulate this demand by offering new connections to those places where air freight services did not previously exist. At China Air Cargo 2008, we have been repeatedly communicating this message to the Chinese freight forwarding community. We have also demonstrated that it is not only schedule and rates that we offer. More importantly, we build partnerships with those who believe in the future of the Russian market and want to prosper by uncovering its potential."