Volga-Dnepr to base An-124 at new Houston operations base

Volga-Dnepr Group (VDG) has opened an operations base at Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport with an An-124-100 aircraft based at the hub and sector specialists.
The base is an expansion of the VDG’s sales office, which was established in Houston in 2001.
The move will ensure the airline’s customers in the Americas, including its longstanding and major clients in the oil and gas, heavy machinery, energy and aerospace sectors, will benefit from locally based staff and services.
Konstantin Vekshin, executive president, Charter Cargo Operations of VDG, said: “With the inauguration of the new operations base, the Group will dedicate one of its 12 Antonov An-124-100 freighter aircraft as well as crews, technical support teams and special loading equipment for unique cargoes to the Houston facility.
"The Base will be staffed by load planning engineers and loadmasters, operations, navigation and ground handling specialists, and provide unique and specialized on-site engineering and delivery solutions to enable the safe and secure transportation of heavy and outsize cargoes.
"The commitment brings us even closer to our customers geographically and enhances our ability to provide special ‘out of the box’ solutions which make our customers’ lives easier.”
Houston Aviation director Mario Diaz added: “The addition of Volga-Dnepr Group’s new operations base is yet another step fostering future growth in cargo operations at Bush Airport and will create 30 to 40 new jobs in the local area.
“Houston Airports remains committed to developing and improving intermodal connectivity, and new service offerings such as Volga-Dnepr’s operations base help us achieve our mission by further connecting the people, business, cultures, and economies of the world to Houston.”