Red Wings begins air cargo services following Sky Gates takeover
15 / 12 / 2023
The IL-96-500T has been modernised by Red Wings Airlines. Photo: Red Wings Airlines
Russia-based Red Wings Airlines has launched cargo services following the acquisition of Sky Gates Airlines in August.
The first commercial freighter flight took place this month using Sky Gates’ modernised Il-96-400T.
Red Wings said the flight, carrying consumer goods shipments, was carried out between Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan and Zhukovskiy International Airport, southeast of Moscow.
As well as the Il-96-400T, the Sky Gates fleet includes a Il-76TD. In the future, domestically produced cargo aircraft will be used to grow the fleet.
A programme for restoring the airworthiness of Russian-made cargo and passenger aircraft is currently being implemented by lessor Ilyushin Finance Company (IFC), owned by the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), whose aircraft factories undertake maintenance work.
IFC general director Mikhail Podkhvatlin said that the Il-96-400T had undergone works to make it airworthy.
“One of the flagships of Russian transport aviation, the Il-96-400T, has been returned to service; it arrived at our colleagues at Sky Gates just in time, since air cargo transportation services are now in great demand,” said Podkhvatlin.
Looking at the future cargo possibilities, Red Wings general director Evgeniy Solodilin said the company sees “good prospects for the development of the freight transportation market on domestic routes and in export-import operations with friendly countries”.
Air Cargo News‘ sister magazine FlightGlobal said that Sky Gates’ Il-96-400T was originally delivered to Russian operator Polet in 2009.
It was parked for several years by Ilyushin Finance, according to Cirium fleets data.
Russian freight carrier AirBridgeCargo – which was operating Boeing 747s before the country’s air transport industry fell under international war-related sanctions – had been due to lease the jet this year.
