Leading Russian air-freight carrier Volga-Dnepr Group has signed an agreement to partner with Cainiao Smart Logistics Networkto boost its cross-border shipping capabilities and meet growing demand for better and faster delivery services, the Moscow-based company said Monday.

According to a memorandum of understanding between the two companies, Volga-Dnepr Group will guarantee access to its network and fleet of 41 airplanes to Cainiao, while Cainiao has named Volga-Dnepr Group its preferred carrier for airlift capacity and logistics services.

The companies also agreed to leverage their respective logistics assets in Asia, Europe and Russia to develop more-efficient shipping network, Volga-Dnepr Group said.

“The future of air freight is in the e-commerce sector with customers becoming more tech-savvy, internet-driven and demanding in terms of delivery services,” said Tatyana Arslanova, Vice-President Strategic Management of Volga-Dnepr Group.

“The key to success of winning this lucrative market lies in the ability provide fast, fully digitalized and transparent services with the support of reliable partners, such as Cainiao Network,” she said.

Russia is an important market for Cainiao’s parent company, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group. B2C shopping site AliExpress, which Alibaba launched in 2010, is Russia’s most-popular e-commerce platform. In September, Alibaba announced that AliExpress and Russia’s top internet company, Mail.ru Group, would join forces to create a one-stop destination for consumers to communicate, socialize, shop and play games, all within the same online ecosystem.

“We are delighted that Volga-Dnepr Group becomes our strategic partner to beef up air freight capability of our global smart logistics network, enabling merchants and brands– especially small and medium enterprises – to access more efficient cross-border logistics services,” Cainiao Global General Manager James Zhao said.