Aviacon Zitotrans
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Cargo airline |
| Founded | June 1995 |
| Headquarters | Yekaterinburg , Russia |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Aerial transportation of heavy, oversized, valuable, and dangerous goods |
Number of employees | 170+ |
| Website | www |
JSC "Aviacon Zitotrans" (, AO Aviakompaniya «Aviakon Tsitotrans») operates as a private cargo airline with its headquarters located in Yekaterinburg, Russia.
History
Established in June 1995, Aviacon Zitotrans focuses on the aerial transportation of heavy, oversized, valuable, and dangerous goods. Its cargo includes aerospace components, sea containers, humanitarian supplies, government and military shipments, as well as live animals. Utilizing IL-76 TD aircraft, the company provides global services. With a workforce exceeding 170 employees, its primary base is situated at Koltsovo International Airport in Yekaterinburg. The airline underwent a name change to Aviacon Air Cargo in 2008.
Fleet
As of July 2012, the airline's fleet comprises:
- 5 Ilyushin Il-76TD planes
Memorable dates and events
In March 2013, Aviacon Zitotrans partnered with Transafe Logistics to complete a project involving the transport of a 46-ton generator rotor destined for the Nizhnevartovsk power station. The shipment was carried by an IL-76TD aircraft to Busan, South Korea, setting a global record for the heaviest single cargo on this aircraft model.
Sanctions
On 26 January 2023, during the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict, Aviacon Zitotrans was designated on the US sanctions list due to its connections with PMC Wagner. Additionally, four IL-76TD aircraft (registration numbers RA-76502, RA-76842, RA-76846, RA-78765) operated by the company were subjected to sanctions.
The US Treasury highlighted the airline’s involvement in transporting goods for Russian defense organizations under sanctions and military hardware—including missile components and helicopter parts—to locations such as Venezuela and various African countries.
Earlier, on 19 October 2022, Ukraine imposed sanctions against the company. Subsequently, on 19 May 2023, Canada also placed Aviacon Zitotrans under sanctions for providing military technology to Russia’s armed forces.