East Line Airlines, one of Russia's leading carriers, was in October felicitated at a reception in Dubai to mark its 100th flight into the UAE city.

Dnata Cargo, operators of Dubai air cargo terminals, hosted the party to mark the occasion. Present were officials of East Line, some of whom had flown from Moscow and Dnata's cargo management as well as acting director Feryal Tawakul and assistant director Mohammed Al Rasasi of the Freezone Customs Department.

The celebration took place at Dnata Cargo's Free Zone Logistics Centre (FLC), which acts as a service provider to all companies within the Dubai Airport Free Zone, linking with other terminals such as the Air Cargo Terminal and the Emirates Cargo Centre.

Dnata Cargo senior general manager Jean Pierre de Pauw said: "When we opened the FLC in October 1999, East Line was one of the first customers. Now some 25 airlines have signed up. We are delighted that East Line has achieved its 100th flight and look forward to a long and successful partnership."

Alexey Rayevskiy, East Line commercial director, said: "We are very satisfied with the facilities and services at the Freezone Logistics Centre and we are confident that when problems arise they will be quickly solved." From its base at Moscow's Domodedovo Airport, East Line operates more than 300 passenger and cargo flights per month with cargo consignments topping 9,000 tonnes and passenger numbers reaching 10,000 monthly.

East Line is also an approved carrier for the United Nations, transporting personnel to projects around the world. "We have operated flights for the UN using Dubai as a transit point and we hope to increase this traffic," Rayevskiy said.