Volga-Dnepr Group and Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport have signed a long-term cooperation agreement to develop a cargo hub at the airport.

The strategic step is a milestone in the history of the companies’ relationship and intends to join forces of the airport and the airline in the areas influencing development of air cargo business, said a statement from the companies.

“For our airport, an agreement of such level and context is the key to success as it anticipates a systematic approach towards enhancement of cargo infrastructure,” said Michael Vasilenko, director general of Sheremetyevo International Airport. “We are delighted that it embraces not only the quantitative side, where Volga-Dnepr Group guarantees an agreed volume of transit, transfer and import-export cargo flows, but the qualitative side as well with the building of an up-to-date hangar complex for maintenance and repair services, expansion of cargo facilities to offer handling for special commodities and, most importantly, provision of all the resources needed from our side.”

Besides cargo infrastructure enhancement at the airport, the agreement will encourage cooperation with other international airports in order to increase cargo flows and exchange experience in terms of implementation of certain business-related projects and innovations.

“Both Volga-Dnepr Group and Sheremetyevo airport are strategically oriented towards development of a modern international level air cargo hub at the premises of Sheremetyevo airport,” said Sergey Lazarev, Director General of AirBridgeCargo Airlines, a component of Volga-Dnepr. “All the agreements and mutual obligations reached in this agreement are particularly intended to guarantee a high quality level of air cargo services for our customers.”