Needing little introduction, the Antonov AN-124 – Guinness World Record-holding mammoth of the air freight industry – could be the perfect solution to your cargo charter conundrums.
Spotlight: Antonov AN-124
Needing little introduction, the Antonov AN-124 – Guinness World Record-holding mammoth of the air freight industry – could be the perfect solution to your cargo charter conundrums.
This incredibly specialised aircraft, specifically constructed for the transportation of heavy and outsize loads leaves most other cargo aircraft in the dust – the AN-124’s large cargo capacity, drive-on loading ramps, and a variety of built-in freight-handling equipment (inclusive of four internal cranes with a combined capacity of 20 tonnes) make this aircraft, truly, one of a kind.
Touted as the biggest in the world by many of the categories which measure the size of aircraft, the AN-124 has held over thirty world records in its tenure – including the heaviest commercial load ever carried by air, largest aircraft, and largest payload lifted to the highest altitude (though some of these have now been claimed by succeeding aircraft). While this aircraft may seem, and rightly so, too unique to be of use regularly, its versatility is exactly what solidifies its value. On average, our charter specialists at ACS charter an AN-124 at least once a month – bolstering its reputation of a workhorse of the aviation industry.
With regular use in a multitude of industries, from oil and gas to power generation, and even during the Covid-19 Pandemic for the transportation of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), the AN-124 leads the pack in outsized and specialist air freight.
Key facts and statistics
- Maiden flight: 1982
- Introduction: 1985 (at the Paris Air Show)
- Payload: 120000kg / 264554-330693 lbs
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Features:
- Two cargo doors – through passage of loading vehicles reduces loading times
- Multi-strut ‘kneeling’ landing gear – allows heavy items to be loaded smoothly straight from the ground
- Robust landing gear and shoulder-wing design – allows operation in frozen and gravel runways, having no problem landing in remote areas where airport infrastructure is lacking
ACS Anecdote
In 2022, ACS was involved in the transportation of part of a power plant in the UK from a factory in Korea. The power plant required huge, and very specialist steel rings which needed to be able to withstand submersion in water; whilst the manufacturer had devised a new way of casting steel for this purpose, the end product turned out to be extremely brittle, which meant that air transportation was the only means by which the project could be brought closer to completion.
At ACS, we can arrange the entirety of the charter’s logistics, including permits. In this case, the Korean Office of Civil Aviation was reluctant to grant the permit as the operator was a third country, and neither the place of departure or destination; our charter specialist team achieved the impossible, engaging diplomats from the Danish, British and Ukrainian embassies and the Korean government to ensure that the permit was issued and that the cargo was delivered in the shortest time possible.
The AN-124 is one of the most impressive cargo aircraft the world has ever seen, and with ACS’s help, its power is at your disposal.