Japan's Sendai Airport Reopens to First International Civil Flight After Earthquake and Flooding

SENDAI, Japan, April 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Volga-Dnepr Airlines has transported a special mobile medical vehicle from Miami (USA) to Sendai (Japan) to help survivors of the country's devastating earthquake and tsunami. Volga-Dnepr operated the flight free of charge as a gesture of support to the Japanese people.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20110414/449844 )

The AN-124-100 'Ruslan' freighter flight, which touched down in Japan today (April 14th), was the first international civil flight to land at Sendai Airport since flood waters and debris from the tsunami deluged the airport on March 11th. Although the airport was seriously affected by the natural disaster, all the necessary safety conditions were ensured for the landing of the AN-124-100 heavy freighter with its urgently-needed relief load onboard.

Moscow-based Volga-Dnepr chose one of its AN-124-100 cargo aircraft for the flight because of the non-standard height of the medical vehicle, which exceeded 3.5 metres. The specialist medical van was delivered on behalf of the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in the United States. It is designed as a mobile clinic to provide on-the-spot diagnostics and treatment of ophthalmologic diseases in those regions where medical aid is urgently needed because buildings which had housed medical centres were destroyed or badly damaged by the earthquake and flood waters.

Alexey Isaikin, President of Volga-Dnepr Group, said the flight was to signal the Group's support and admiration for the Japanese people at such a difficult time. He commented: "People all over the world have watched the impact of the tsunami unfold and have been so amazed and humbled by the strength and resilience of the Japanese people and by their determination and selflessness in both helping others and beginning to rebuild their lives and their country. The fact that we have been able to land our aircraft at Sendai Airport today is a tribute to their resolve. We hope that the mobile medical equipment we have delivered today will ensure the lives of many people affected by this natural disaster are made a little easier."