OREANDA-NEWS. Volga-Dnepr Group has hosted customers at the Field Museum of Chicago to celebrate AirBridgeCargo Airlines' (ABC) 10-year anniversary and to mark the Group's 22 years of successful operations in the U.S. market.

As well as using the social gathering to thank customers for their support of the Group's scheduled and charter airlines - ABC and Volga-Dnepr Airlines respectively - members of its executive team also took the opportunity to discuss future developments in North and South Americas with customers and to invite their feedback on AirBridgeCargo's operational performance.

The U.S. market is one of Volga Dnepr Group's biggest areas of activity. The Group's aircraft operated its first commercial flight in the U.S. back in 1991 and now, more than 22 years later, it is a well-known andreliable service provider to companies in the United States for transportation of outsize and heavyweight air cargo, scheduled cargo services to Russia and Europe, and end-to-end logistics solutions.

AirBridgeCargo Airlines entered the U.S. market three years ago when it added Chicago to its network. Today, ABC operates five scheduled flights with B747-8Fs to Chicago per week, two of which continue to Dallas/Fort Worth providing direct connection from Texas to Russia and Europe.

“ABC is still a relatively new company on the American market but we are quickly moving to a higher league. Our first U.S service to/from Chicago has been consistently showing good results during last three years. As from this April we added Dallas/Fort Worth as our new destination in the U.S. I am pleased to announce that our first Dallas flight departed with a full load and I wish to thank our customers for their confidence in AirBridgeCargo,” said Denis Ilin, Executive President of ABC in his address to guests in Chicago.

The introduction of North America to its existing network serving major gateways in Europe and Asia was an important step in making ABC a truly global airline. With strong customers' support on the Chicago route, in 2013 ABC's overall cargo tonnage to/from North America has grown by 12% and 4% respectively.

Dennis Gliznoutsa, Vice President, Business Development, Volga-Dnepr Airlines: “The U.S. is a strategically important market for Antonov-124 and Ilyushin-76 business and one where we enjoy strong customer relations because of our track record over the past 22 years and our proven ability to deliver reliable transport and logistics solutions for oversized and unique cargoes. We are proud of the partnerships we have established and the growth of AirBridgeCargo in the U.S. market further extends Volga-Dnepr Group's 'cargo supermarket' service capability, which aims to provide the best and most efficient solution for every customer requirement.”