Jan 15, 2019: AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC), part of Volga-Dnepr Group, with dedicated airlift for special cargoes, saw its volumes of special commodities increase by over 25 percent in 2018, demonstrating its capability to cater to the needs of customers worldwide.

Alignment of internal processes, the introduction of digital solutions to enhance customer experience, partnerships with reliable companies, and the reinforcement of ABC’s global team helped to boost ABC pharma volumes by more than 60 percent year-on-year, while dangerous goods shipments using the airline’s ABC DG product rose by 40 percent. ABC XL demand for oversize and heavy cargoes increased by over 20 percent versus 2017, and ecommerce business delivered via AirBridgeCargo’s ABC e-com product was up 6 percent.

Overall, total volumes carried in 2018 went up by 2 percent, exceeding 700,000 tonnes across ABC’s growing international route network. The increase is attributed to the introduction of new destinations, notably Ho Chi Minh City, Shenzhen, Budapest, and Columbus, which complemented the airline’s existing routes and opened new market growth opportunities for ABC’s customers. On top of this, effective fleet utilisation and team strengthening facilitated the company’s growth.

“2019 will be an exceptional year for ABC, the year of our 15th anniversary, and we are delighted to achieve another company milestone supported by the consistent results of 2018. New challenges are ahead of us, but that’s what makes the air cargo industry an exciting place to be. We are all set and ready for new plans and accomplishments as we continue to follow our growth strategy,” highlighted Sergey Lazarev, general director of AirBridgeCargo Airlines.

One of the main areas for further progress this year will lie in the development of digital front-end solutions for the convenience of ABC customers worldwide. AirBridgeCargo is committed to creating a more user-friendly digital environment, starting with the implementation of equipment to improve the monitoring of a cargo’s condition – temperature logger, shocking sensors, Bluetooth transmitting devices – up to partnering with the world’s leading companies, such as Unilode and SITAONAIR, to guarantee 100 percent traceability of shipments and continue the move towards an ‘internet of things’ (IoT) platform.