Volga-Dnepr Airlines (Volga-Dnepr) and Leipzig/Halle Airport (LEJ) have inked the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the aim to set up an Emergency Logistics/Humanitarian Hub.

The decision comes as a logical step for further development of long-lasting strategic cooperation between LEJ and Volga-Dnepr Group (the Group). Both parties agree to strengthen their unique services in the Humanitarian sector, shouldered by an expert combination of the ‘carrier-airport’ capabilities. While the Group is ready to ramp up Emergency Logistics Hub with its operational base in LEJ, 30+ years of experience and expertise in Humanitarian logistics, a diversified fleet of freighters including ramp ones which are self-sufficient for flight operations to remote or less equipped airports, LEJ is ready to offer its beneficial market-driven commercial conditions for export warehousing, long-term storage conditions for emergency cargo and terminal handling package to support the industry.

Volga-Dnepr and LEJ will follow the road-map to jointly promote the airport as the Emergency Logistics Hub through the task-oriented marketing campaign, specialized educational workshops, streamlined cooperation with International Non-Governmental Organizations, International Intergovernmental Organizations of Germany, major equipment manufacturers, freight forwarders and other stakeholders of the sector to foster humanitarian cargo operations ex Leipzig/Halle.

Tatyana Arslanova, Executive Operating Officer of Volga-Dnepr Group, highlights: “2020 has shown that the industry needs to be better prepared to guarantee emergency response when and where it is needed. By setting up the Humanitarian Hub in Leipzig/Halle we are focusing on quality enhancement of the services for the sector and upscaling our capabilities. We are all well aware that humanitarian operations admit of no delays and staying ahead we aim for disruption-free cargo transportations to deliver essential commodities, medical supplies, sophisticated equipment or pharmaceutical products. With Volga-Dnepr's 30+ of experience and contribution of our strategic airline partners, we gained competences to spin special cargoes across the globe and will be able to develop our humanitarian services together with reliable and trustworthy companies, like Leipzig/Halle Airport”.

“Leipzig/Halle Airport is the ideal logistics platform for rapidly handling all kinds of humanitarian aid and a new logistics centre for disaster management is also being built here as part of an EU programme. At the same time, the airport is demonstrating its prowess as an efficient hub for medical protective equipment and Covid-19 tests in the battle against the pandemic and is also the starting point for aid flights transporting technical equipment and pharmaceuticals to destinations in Europe, Africa and South America,” says Mario Patyk, Head of Head of Business Development Cargo/Logistics, with great emphasis; and he adds, “We’re not only able to pool efficient infrastructure and logistics expertise, but also extensive cargo airline capacity by cooperating with our long-standing partner, the Volga-Dnepr Group, at Leipzig/Halle – and this capacity can be put to use anywhere in the world round the clock.”