Russian cargo airline Atran, part of Volga-Dnepr Group, has resumed commercial operations with a Boeing 737-400SF freighter following a suspension of its air operator’s certificate in 2025.
The carrier restarted flights on 16 October, operating a cargo service from Moscow Vnukovo to Mirny via Novosibirsk, according to an announcement from Volga-Dnepr Group.
The aircraft, registered RA-73854, returned to service after being removed from storage and undergoing a C-check, a major scheduled maintenance inspection. It completed a two-hour test flight on 28 August ahead of the operational restart.
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Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsia, reinstated Atran’s operator certificate in late September, enabling the airline to resume commercial cargo flights. The certificate had been suspended in October 2025 at the carrier’s own request.
Atran said the return to service would strengthen Volga-Dnepr Group’s capacity in Russia’s domestic air cargo market.
The Boeing 737-400SF has a stated payload capacity of up to 18 tonnes. According to the group, the aircraft will support shipments of industrial equipment, components, consumer goods and e-commerce cargo.
The airline highlighted Mirny as an important industrial centre requiring regular deliveries of essential materials and equipment. The route via Novosibirsk provides an additional link between Moscow and a key destination in Russia’s diamond-mining region.
Return of the 737 freighter fleet
Atran had previously relied on Antonov An-12 aircraft after uncertainty surrounding its leased Boeing 737 fleet emerged in 2023. International sanctions imposed on Volga-Dnepr Group and related aviation operations disrupted the use of parts of its foreign-built fleet.
The resumption with RA-73854 marks a return to Boeing narrowbody freighter operations for the carrier, although the announcement does not establish whether additional aircraft will be returned to service.
Flight-tracking data cited in industry reporting also indicated that the aircraft had operated to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in the days following the restart. Further details of Atran’s planned schedule and fleet expansion have not been disclosed.
The return of commercial services provides Volga-Dnepr Group with an additional option for domestic freight movements, particularly for industrial supply chains that depend on reliable connections to remote Russian destinations.
