Ruslan International – the joint venture company which markets and manages the combined fleet of 17 An-124 aircraft belonging to its parents Antonov Airlines and Volga Dnepr Airlines – has begun a programme of nine flights to Haiti carrying urgent relief supplies for JGSDF (Japan Ground Self-Defence Force), working on behalf of the Japanese Government
The nine flights, using aircraft of both Volga Dnepr Airlines and Antonov Airlines, are taking place throughout February and early March; each will carry 65 tonnes of earthmoving equipment and tents from Sendai (Japan), via Fairbanks and Edmonton (Canada). As Port au Prince is granting priority access to all aircraft carrying earthmoving equipment, the flights are permitted to operate direct into the airport.
The An124 has ramped access both at its front and rear, and is particularly suited to carrying heavy equipment: the aircraft are regularly deployed for this purpose in humanitarian relief programmes.
Says Ruslan International’s Business Development Manager, Michael Goodisman: “Volga Dnepr and Antonov are providing equal numbers of An-124 aircraft for the relief flight programme. This is precisely the type of major operation that Ruslan International was established to coordinate, and we are very pleased that we have been able to accommodate this large and urgent demand at short notice and without any difficulty, thanks to the size of the combined fleets at our disposal.”
He adds: “We are finding the Port au Prince slot co-ordinators extremely helpful, despite the very difficult conditions under which they are working. There is a real sense of urgency, and of everyone pulling together.”
The world’s largest freighter aircraft – the Antonov An-225 – has also joined the Haiti relief effort, carrying urgently-needed heavy earthmoving equipment on behalf of the Japanese government, which is a major contributor to the global relief effort.
The An-225, belonging to Antonov Airlines, was positioned from its Kiev base to Tokyo Narita where it took on its cargo of 110 tonnes of earthmoving equipment and tents. Then, due to airport congestion at Port au Prince, it flew to neighbouring Santo Domingo via Fairbanks (Alaska) and Miami.
The An225’s nose loading ramp and “kneeling” undercarriage make it particularly suitable for outsized and wheeled loads.
Says Antonov Airlines’ commercial director Valery Kulbaka: “The An-225 is ideal for transporting outsized wheeled and tracked items such as this earth moving equipment. The aircraft’s loading ramp means it requires no additional ground handling equipment. In addition, its high volume capacity meant it was able to carry a large quantity of other urgent relief supplies on this same flight.
“We would like to thank all those who helped with the smooth operation of this flight in such difficult circumstances, and also to pay tribute to the JGSDF (Japan Ground Self-Defense Force) working on behalf of the Japanese Government, for adding to the already enormous assistance being provided by so many organisations. We were delighted to be able to play our own small part in helping Haiti’s recovery.”
An-124
The Antonov An-124 “Ruslan” was first flown for military purposes in 1982, and civil certification was issued in 1992. The aircraft was manufactured in parallel by the Russian company Aviastar-SP and by the Kyiv Aviation Plant AVIANT, in Ukraine. The last airframe was completed in 2004, but plans are now afoot to re-start production.
Externally, the An-124 is similar to the American military Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, but has a 25% larger payload. An-124s have been used to carry a wide variety of loads including railway locomotives, ocean yachts, aircraft fuselages, B777 engines, and even the occasional elephant. The An-124 is able to kneel to allow easier front loading. The cargo compartment of the An-124 measures 36.5m x 6.4m x 4.4m and the maximum payload is 120,000 kg.
An-225
The An-225 was originally designed by Antonov Design Bureau for the Soviet space program to airlift the Energia rocket's boosters and the Buran space shuttle. It first flew on 21 December 1988. Two aircraft were ordered, but only one An-225 was actually completed.
The sole An-225 is now operated by Antonov Airlines, and is commercially available for carrying ultra-heavy and oversize freight, up to 250,000 kg. It can accommodate single pieces up to 210,000 kg. The An-225 has established a reputation for transporting objects once thought impossible to move by air, such as locomotives and 150-tonne generators, and has taken part in numerous humanitarian relief programmes.
On 11 August 2009, the heaviest single cargo item ever sent via air freight was loaded onto the Antonov An-225. At 16.23 metres (53.2 ft) long and 4.27 metres (14.0 ft) wide, the consignment – a generator for a gas power plant in Armenia and its loading frame – weighed in at a record 189,009 kg.
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