Antonov Airlines reports operational performance improvement

In January-November 2017, the carrier transported 26% more cargo than in all of 2016 (Dmitry A. Mottl / Wikipedia)

Ukrainian cargo carrier Antonov Airlines (part of Antonov State Enterprise) reported exceeding its entire 2016 operational results (in the volume of freight) by 26% in the first 11 months of 2017. The airline clocked a total of 4,823 flight hours during the period.

Antonov Airlines operates the world’s only Antonov An-225 Mriya, as well as seven An-124-100 Ruslans, one An-22 Antey, two An-12s, one An-26, and one An-74T.

In an earlier interview to RBC Ukraine, CEO Mykhailo Kharchenko said the airline had been contracted to transport electrical equipment for Germany’s Siemens, and also had a number of freight agreements with European aerospace industry companies, including satellites to be carried to Guiana Space Center and Cape Canaveral.

The airline operates out of Hostomel airport near Kyiv. In August this year, it reported a 16% increase in revenue.

Since the beginning of this year, Antonov Airlines has been working independently on the international market for superheavy freights. These operations were previously conducted by a Russian-Ukrainian joint venture dedicated to transporting outsized and superheavy loads, including for NATO’s Strategic Airlift Interim Solution (SALIS) program.

Antonov backed out of the enterprise, preferring to pursue an own business with Antonov SALIS GmbH, specifically for NATO contracts. It receives logistic support from Dreamlifts Ltd.