Red Wings Set to Acquire Sky Gates, Aiming for Cargo Expansion

Russian airline Red Wings is planning to buy all-cargo carrier Sky Gates as it looks to expand in the cargo market.

Last week, Red Wings general director Evgeny Solodilin told Rossiya 24 that the company was planning to operate two Il-96s on the certificate of a cargo airline but did not confirm which airline the company was hoping to acquire.

Russian news service Izvestia has since reported that the carrier in question is Sky Gates, which previously operated two Boeing 747 freighters before western sanctions related to the war in Ukraine resulted in the carrier returning the aircraft to owner Silk Way West.

Red Wings is hoping to add two Russian-made IL-96-400T freighters.

AirBridgeCargo had previously been in talks to take the two IL-96s as it looked to re-launch cargo operations.

The carrier previously operated a fleet of 17 B747 freighters and a single B777F.

However, western sanctions mean the carrier has been unable to operate the aircraft for more than a year.