KYIV. June 23 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Ukrainian-based Antonov Airlines, one of the world’s leading operators of the heavy transport An-124-100 Ruslan aircraft, and French Bollore Logistics are expanding cooperation in the field of freight transportation by air.
The parties signed a contract at the 52nd International Paris Air Show Le Bourget 2017 to use the Antonov Airlines fleet for transportation of oversize and overweight cargo by order from Bollore.
The Ukrainian news outlet, Ukr.Media, said on Thursday that under the signed contract, the French company chartered one Ruslan aircraft for a year for the transportation of satellites and other oversized equipment.
According to open sources, Antonov Airlines in February 2017 transported a 155-tonne transformer from Brazil to Chile by order from Bollore, engaging the world’s largest transport airlifter, An-225 Mriya.
Antonov Airlines is an air transport division of Kyiv-based Antonov enterprise, a leading Ukrainian developer and manufacturer of aircraft. It is part of state-owned Ukroboronprom Concern since 2016.
For many years, the airlines’ fleet has been actively involved in the international market for commercial air transportation of oversize cargo. The company’s success stories also include strategic airlift operations under the NATO Strategic Airlift Interim Solution (SALIS) program.
Antonov Airlines has seven An-124-100 Ruslan aircraft with a lifting capacity of 150 tonnes, the An-225 Mriya with a lifting capacity of 250 tonnes, one multi-purpose An-74T (10 tonnes), one An-22 Antei (60 tonnes), and one An-26 (5.5 tonnes).
The 52nd International Paris Air Show Le Bourget 2017 is being held on June 19-25.
