[250720.EN.AIR] Volga-Dnepr, Geodis Flies 400 Million Medical Masks From Shenzhen to Paris

RUSSIAN airline Volga-Dnepr has teamed up French forwarding giant Geodis to complete 48 flights in 90 days flying 400 million Chinese medical masks to France, reports London's Air Cargo News.

The operation lasted from April to June due to France's need for facemasks and other equipment in the pandemic. The flights were done by the huge An-124 air transport.

The deliveries were done as part of the government's Pont Aerien Francais, as contracted by the French Ministry of Solidarity and Health.

The flights came from Shenzhen and landed in Paris-Vatry airport, with the first flight landing on March 30. After three months, the operation concluded.

Volga-Dnepr reported problems such as crew quarantine restrictions, congestion at Chinese airport terminals and pressure on Chinese export traffic.

"The teamwork between Volga-Dnepr Airlines and Geodis ensured that all challenges were overcome and cargo was delivered exactly on time every time," said the airline.

A flight landed every 48 hours, which resulted in 400 million face masks being delivered, as well as surgical gowns and various other equipment.

"By the end of the programme, the giant airlift capabilities of Volga-Dnepr's An-124 fleet had transported nearly 30,000 cubic metres of protective medical equipment from southern China," said the airline.

Said Geodis vice president Stanislas Brun: "Geodis has been working with the Volga-Dnepr group for many projects in the past, and the airline is now one of Geodis' air direct main partners,"

Said Volga-Dnepr's humanitarian affairs chief Stuart Smith: "Given its size, frequency, and the epidemiological factors that our operating crews and all stakeholders have faced, the fact that we were able to deliver all 48 flights exactly on schedule is a testament to the hard work and huge intra-team co-operation between Geodis, Volga-Dnepr Airlines, Vatry airport, and Shenzhen airport."

Source : HKSG.