Seeing good volume growth in 2000

Published: 4/24/2000

The UK-based Institute of Transport Management, has awarded Voronezh based Polyot Airline, a Global Cargo Airline"2000 Award for its contribution to the development of the glob al outsize cargo industry. Brenda Drum, head of the institute, presented the award to Polyot General Director Anatoly Karpov in Moscow on the 17th April. According to Drum, the institute has reviewed the outsized cargo market, which although relat ively small, continues to grow. As heavy lift cargo aircraft are increasingly an integral part of the manufacturing chain by delivering essential components just in time. Reported revenues from outsized cargo charters reached $300 million in 1999 and are forecast by the institute to keep growing at 13% annually reaching 2.5 million metric tons a year by 2003. The privately owned Polyot won the award against tough competition due to its high quality of service and reliability according to Drum, an d follows the airline"s award of the institute"s Award of Excellence in 1998. In contrast to other heavy lift operators such as Volga Dnepr, Polyot does not have a foreign partner, which Deputy General Director Boris Noginsky believes gives the carrier mo re flexibility. The airline increased its volume of traffic by 50% in 1999 carrying 18,000 tonnes although increased fuel costs left the airline in the red according to Noginsky. During the last two years Polyot has acquired licenses for flights to the US and to meet international requirements has upgraded its Ruslan fleet. Today, Polyot has two An-124-100 aircraft recently modified at a cost of $1m each with hushkits, global positioning systems, 8.33 kHz spacing communications radios and accurate vertical separation equipment. Polyot"s fleet utilisation in 1999 was 920 flight hours per aircraft with one of its An-124-100s achieving 3500 flight hours. Karpov said that the airline has seen growth in volume of 5-7% in the first few months of this year, but was unspecific about the exact period. The carrier is due to get 4 additional An-124s from the Russian Air Force under an agreement to provide aircraft for the Air Launch programme. The Air Launch programme involves the air launching of sat ellites by the Air Launch Aerospace Corporation in which Polyot is a shareholder. The aircraft will be converted to civilian standards, although Karpov says they will require to be made air worthy first. The reports of the poor condition the Russ ian Air Force"s 26 strong An-124 fleet have been made by another contender for aircraft from the air force"s inventory Volga Dnepr, although the latter has recently stated that it has become increasingly frustrated with the process. Karpov admitted that t he aircraft they are to take delivery of are missing essential on-board equipment and engines and that it would take from 6 to 12 months to make them flight worthy. Polyot is also considering ordering new An-124 airframes from the Aviastar manufacturing p lant, joining the outstanding order from Volga Dnepr due to be delivered later this year.

Article ID: 1576