Volga Dnepr Wants 20 New Outsized Freighters in 10 Years

Volga Dnepr, saying demand for outsized freighter aircraft grew 30 percent in the last five years, wants to order 20 new AN-124 project cargo aircraft over the next decade in a strong expansion of market capacity.

The Russian airline says it also expects its fleet to expand with another 20 oversized aircraft between 2021 and 2027, part of a broader growth in the market for moving outsized goods by air around the world.

That would push Volga Dnepr’s fleet from the 10 AN-124s it operates today to 50 within 17 years, assuming the existing aircraft remain in operation.

Volga Dnepr Group says the market for project air cargo grew from $768 million in 2007 to $1.1 billion in 2008, the last year for which figures are available.

The airline said a study by aviation consulting firm SH&E projected a need for 70 AN-124-type airplanes by 2030.

The airline is working with an aviation technology firm in Russia on a project to extend the working life of existing editions of the AN-124 aircraft.