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Case Study Of Volga Dnepr : A Heavy Lift Cargo Airline

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Volga-Dnepr: A Heavy-Lift Cargo Airline
History/Background
As the air cargo industry grew after World War II, the need for large cargo aircraft increased worldwide. Items such as military tanks, aircraft engines, space station sections, satellites, factory power plants, and large construction equipment needed to be transported from manufacturing plants or job sites to locations around the world. This type of cargo, also known as oversized, outsized, or heavy-lift cargo, did not fit in conventional aircraft. Several major aviation manufacturers in the United States (U.S.) and in Europe recognized the need for special, large transport aircraft and began producing special air freighters to meet the needs of this special market.
During this time, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), also known as the Soviet Union or Russia, and the U.S. were in the middle of the Cold War and shipping embargos and trade restrictions were in place against the USSR. The Russians also had need of heavy-lift air transport and began developing their own specialty aircraft. At first, these aircraft were intended for moving heavy military equipment such as tanks to the battle field. Later, they were used to transport rockets and space shuttles for the Space Race, and now, they are used for both military and commercial transportation of oversized cargo. Since the end of the Cold War in 1989, one company has emerged as the Russian leader for heavy-lift aircraft; this company is the

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