Aviation Accident Prevention, Flight Safety and Aviation Security

Volga-Dnepr Group has always given a high priority to accident prevention, aviation safety, and aviation security. In 2015, it adopted some additional measures to enhance controls in this critical area of activity.

The air accident prevention and safety management policy of Volga-Dnepr Group is based on the principles of responsibility of senior management personnel and staff, consistency and coherence, air accident preventability, promoting honesty and openness, ensuring continuous learning and accumulation of knowledge. The Group implements a set of effective measures, such as maintaining a high level of airworthiness of aviation equipment, investing in the training of production personnel for safe operation and maintenance of aircraft, and checking the conformity of production processes to the highest international aviation security standards. The airline companies of the Group are constantly monitoring the level of flight safety through a set of special policy indicators.

Volga-Dnepr is the Russian leader in airport validation in accordance with the EU requirements regulating aviation safety in the transportation of cargoes to the EU from third countries. Currently, the airline has confirmed the ACC3 status (Air Cargo/Mail Carrier operating into the EU from a Third Country Airport) of 10 airports. Previously, the airports of New Dehli (India), Al-Maktoum and Fujairah (UAE), Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore (Pakistan), and Ankara (Turkey), were validated. In 2015, Sharjah (UAE), Cairo (Egypt), and Astana (Kazakhstan), were added to this list.

The main element in the system of accident prevention and safety management are the employees of Volga-Dnepr Group. Their health and professional competence are the basis of the safety and reliability of the company. Everyone who is directly related to air safety is trained and certified under the relevant programmes in the Aviation Training Centre of Volga-Dnepr Group. ATC teachers study in the world's leading centres. In 2015, 484 people were trained in the ATC, of which 230 are flight technicians.

The tragedy that occurred in Bamako (Mali) in November 2015, which claimed the lives of six employees of the Group, made us pay even closer attention to security measures aimed at preventing terrorist threats. In particular, we have strengthened the control and access regime and protection of Volga-Dnepr Group facilities, refined the plans of interaction with local law enforcement agencies on actions aimed to prevent and eliminate emergency situations, and held additional training for employees in the Transport and Aviation Security Management Office and the remaining staff. We also reinforced 24-hour monitoring of situations in regions of high risk, where airline companies of the Group fly. If a situation becomes complicated, the relevant information is promptly submitted to the company management. In turn, managers and crew members have started to monitor compliance with aviation security measures even more closely during the preparation and performance of flights.