AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC), Russia's largest scheduled cargo airline, has begun serving its first destination in North America. The carrier is operating three flights a week to Chicago, making it the first all-cargo airline with regular flights from the U.S. to Russia. The new route will operate from ABC's hub in Moscow to Chicago's O'Hare Airport via Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Chicago will be served with a Boeing 747-400 freighter, offering more than 100 tons of cargo capacity per flight. Part of the Volga-Dnepr Group, ABC said it chose Chicago as its first destination in North America because the city is the nation's biggest transport hub, situated at the intersection of major international air-cargo routes. ABC's network also covers major markets in Asia and Europe. All flights are operated via the airline's hubs at Moscow's Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo airports. Represented in the U.S. market by Network Cargo Systems, ABC plans to open its own office in the U.S. by the end of 2011.
