The simmering conflict between Russia and Ukraine threatens to affect a vital piece of the air cargo industry: the Antonov 124. Able to carry payloads up to 150 tonnes and outsize shipments that cannot be loaded onto a Boeing 747-8F, the An-124 is the largest freighter in the world (bar only her one-off sister type An-225) and is vital for carrying shipments like generators, satellites and locomotives.
Ukraine-based Antonov Group is severing its ties with all Russian companies by the end of this year, company president Oleksandr Kotsuba has announced. This is in line with Ukraine’s decision revealed in early September to walk away from the trilateral Ukraine-Russia-NATO Strategic Airlift Interim Solution.
The decision signals the end of the road for Ruslan International, a UK-based joint venture between Antonov and the Russian Volga-Dnepr Group which has marketed the combined capacities of Volga-Dnepr and Antonov Airlines, primarily their An-124 fleets. The Russian firm has 10 An-124s in its line-up, while Antonov Airlines has seven.
Volga-Dnepr, which has sales organizations for its other freighter operations, can continue to utilize its An-124 contingent, but Antonov has threatened steps to ground the aircraft if the Russian outfit were to use unauthorized Russian companies to perform technical checks and maintenance on the planes. Noises from Volga-Dnepr about shifting some maintenance work to Russian firms were apparently a trigger for the decision of Antonov to cuts its ties with the Russian operator.
The Ukrainian company insists that, as the designer of the aircraft and the type certificate holder, it is the only outfit entitled to perform these functions.
“In case of withdrawal of the An-124-100 Ruslan civil aircraft from supervision by Antonov, the company will be forced to address international aviation organizations with a statement about the discharge of its responsibility for the safe operation of these airplanes on international air routes,” Antonov declared. “Flight accidents could pose a threat to life and property of inhabitants of countries where the aircraft would be operated.”
It has stated that it would ask national aviation regulators, as well as IATA and ICAO, to prohibit Volga-Dnepr operation of the aircraft outside of Russia. However, in a subsequent clarification, Antonov announced that it would only take such a step against Volga-Dnepr if maintenance work for the Russian operator’s An-124s were to move to Russian service providers.
According to unconfirmed reports, Antonov has moved to establish its own marketing infrastructure for its seven An-124s. It has allegedly held talks with AirX, a charter operator of 737 passenger aircraft that recently added a lone 737 freighter to its fleet and has signalled ambitions to add more 737Fs as well as larger cargo aircraft to its line-up.
AirX caused speculation recently with the news that several senior managers of Chapman Freeborn were leaving one of the world’s largest charter brokers to join its team. In addition, Air X has allegedly secured former Chapman Freeborn owners Chris Chapman and Carol Norman as ‘brand ambassadors.’
In a further step signalling the end of co-operation between Ukraine and Russia on giant freighters, the Antonov Group is partnering with a Chinese aerospace company to develop a modernized version of its AN-225. It has signed a co-operation agreement with Aerospace Industry Corporation of China for joint development of the aircraft.
Under the terms of the agreement, Antonov will develop the modernized An-225 and deliver it to the Chinese partner to be followed by production of the aircraft in China under licence from Antonov.
To date, only one An-225 has been produced, which was configured on the basis of the An-124. The plane entered service in 1988. It is designed to carry a maximum cargo of 200 tonnes for almost 2,500 miles of flight.
By Ian Putzger
Air Freight Correspondent | Toronto