CargoLogicAir has been cleared for take-off, having received its air operator certificate (AOC) from the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

The Volga-Dnepr subsidiary is based at London’s Stansted Airport and has taken delivery of one Boeing 747-400 Freighter from Air Castle, with a second to be added in July. It expects to have five 747Fs in its fleet by April 2018. Its routes and operations schedule will be announced “in due course”.

Ruslan International vice president sales, Dmitry Grishin has been appointed chief executive officer, where he will be joined by Peter van de Pas as chief operating officer and accountable manager, and Steve Harvey as chief commercial officer.

Grishin says: “We are proud to have been awarded our AOC after meeting all of the UK CAA’s strict requirements. We are grateful to all involved in the certification process who helped us to make the company stronger, particularly the helpful and professional team at the CAA.”

He says the all-cargo airline has its place in the market specialising in outsized cargo. Grishin adds: “We are open to cooperation with all who share the same passion for cargo as we do. We are also very grateful for the help we have received so far from partners such as Boeing, Stansted Airport and Aeropeople, who have supported us in building the company and its capabilities.”

Harvey says: “We believe this is the right time to launch a new UK cargo airline. We created the company in the UK, which has a rich heritage of all-cargo specialist carriers including big names like HeavyLift, AirFoyle and others.”

He says the size and strength of the UK makes it ideal for a new cargo airline. “We have been extremely encouraged by the level of interest from our customers and expect this to result in us attracting the level of business we need to support our growth strategy over the next three to five years.”