OREANDA-NEWS. January 16, 2012. The new freighter successfully completed its first commercial flight on December 31st from Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport to Bahrain before returning to Moscow.

The fourth new generation IL-76TD-90VD freighter was built to order at the Tashkent Chkalov Aviation Factory in accordance with the contract concluded between UAC - Transport Aircraft and Volga-Dnepr-Leasing at the MAKS 2007 International Aerospace Show. The aircraft - assigned registration RA-76503 - was delivered from Tashkent to Ulyanovsk, Russia, in November to be painted in Volga-Dnepr Airlines’ livery.

Dennis Gliznoutsa, Vice President for Sales, Volga-Dnepr Airlines, said the increase in the IL-76TD-90VD fleet will allow Volga-Dnepr to respond to market demand more flexibly and expeditiously. “The aircraft performs to an extremely high standard for airfreight transportation and is in high demand by our customers. The entry of the fourth IL-76TD-90VD into service facilitates our plans to gain a larger share of the cargo market for shipments in the up to 50 tons category of the international market. The demand for modernised IL-76TD-90VD services is due to its ability to operate globally without restrictions and because older versions of the aircraft are gradually being taken off the market,” he added.

“Volga-Dnepr Group will continue to implement the programme to grow its new IL-76 fleet. We expect to take delivery of our fifth IL-76TD-90VD in May 2012. It is currently being built at the Tashkent Chkalov Aviation Factory,” says General Director of Volga-Dnepr-Leasing, Andrey Pakhomov.

Volga-Dnepr Group initiated the IL-76 modernisation programme in 2002. The first IL-76TD-90VD entered commercial service with Volga-Dnepr Airlines in the summer of 2006. The new version of the popular freighter meets all the current requirements of foreign aviation authorities and is approved to fly all over the world without restriction. It is equipped with PS-90A-76 engines and modern avionics, using the Kupol-III-76M-VD flight navigation system. The aircraft crew size of the IL-76TD-90VD compared to old versions of the IL-76 is reduced to four people.