newstodate.aero

Sep 08, 2023 (newstodate): Once a key player in global air logistics, Russia's Volga-Dnepr has seen its role diminished by the sanction on Russia due to the war on Ukraine.
   Cut off from cooperation with and supplies from Envirotainer, Volga-Dnepr has now been forced to turn away from Envirotainer's temperature-controlled containers to alternatives produced in China.
    Volga-Dnepr has now inked an agreement with a Chinese company to lease special containers for the transportation of pharmaceutical products, to be used on the Il-76TD-90VD freighter aircraft.
   The ULDs for transporting temperature-sensitive cargo RKN-AT1 are reportedly capable of maintaining a temperature range from 0 to 25°C, designed for loading up to 963 kg, and equipped with smart functions for recording information about the condition of the cargo and the main characteristics inside the cargo compartment, such as temperature and  humidity.
   -After February 2022, when the usual supply chains and business relationships with Western partners were disrupted, we began to look for an alternative to temperature-sensitive containers in China. After careful work to assess the risks and find the most optimal option, we settled on a solution from a Chinese manufacturer.  
   -These Chinese ULDs are not in any way inferior to their Western counterparts, suitable for transporting vaccines, tablets, biological products, pharmaceutical substances and other medical shipments, says Maxim Astashin, Volga-Dnepr Airlines Commercial Director.  
   In 2017, Volga-Dnepr Airlines achieved Envirotainer’s QEP accreditation at its global hub at Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport, demonstrating its ability to manage Envirotainer container shipments in accordance with Good Distribution Practices.