AirBridgeCargo reports growth in outsize shipments

AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC), the Boeing 747 freighter operator that forms part of the Volga-Dnepr Group, has confirmed that demand for its ‘abc XL’ product dedicated to oversized and heavy cargoes continued to grow strongly in the first four months of this year.

Volumes carried on the abc XL product were up 3% year on year over the period to more than 11,000 tonnes.

Reflecting the growing importance of this business, ABC has now rolled out a freighter painted in an abc XL aircraft livery.

“For the first four months of 2019, the growth in abc XL shipments also included a more than 10% increase in out-of-gauge cargoes being loaded through the swing-up nose cargo door of our 747 fleet, amounting to more than 2,000 tonnes,” reported Vasiliy Zhukov, global director, heavy & outsized cargo at ABC.

Noting the use of the new abc XL livery, he also pointed out: “The Boeing 747 freighter’s capabilities and efficiency – including its nose cargo door loading feature – significantly ramps up the volume of different oversized and heavy shipments we can transport across our international network.”

The airline saw the biggest surge in oversize and heavy shipments on the trade lanes it serves to and from Europe/North America.

Between these two markets, there was a doubling of these specialist shipments out of Europe and a growth of 45% out of North America.

Much of this growth was, ABC said, attributable to “the reinforcement of the dedicated abc XL product and the proactive approach of its international team, as well as the strengthening of three-party relationships featuring ‘carrier-freight forwarder-OEM’ to guarantee all the requirements and conditions for safe and intact delivery are met”.

The abc XL liveried freighter complements the abc pharma branded freighters within ABC’s fleet.

Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport-based ABC’s fleet currently consists of 18 B747 freighters.