Antonov Airlines

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Antonov Airlines
AntonovAirlines Logo.png
IATA ICAO Callsign
ADBANTONOV BUREAU
FoundedApril 1989;35 years ago (1989-04)
Hubs Leipzig/Halle Airport
Fleet size8-10* (5 active, refer to fleet summary)
Parent company Antonov
Headquarters Kyiv, Ukraine
Website antonov.com

Antonov Airlines is a Ukrainian cargo airline, a division of the Antonov aviation company. It operates international charter services in the oversized-cargo market. Its main base is Hostomel Airport near Kyiv. In the aftermath of the Battle of Hostomel Airport, Antonov relocated its remaining aircraft to Leipzig/Halle Airport.

Contents

History

Early years

The airline was established and started operations in 1989 through a marketing agent agreement with Air Foyle to market Antonov An-124 Ruslan cargo charters worldwide. This relationship ended in June 2006. The same month Antonov Airlines and another large player in the global specialty air cargo business, Volga-Dnepr Airlines (Russia), established a joint venture company – Rusland International [1] — where each company has a 50% stake. The joint operation of the Ukrainian and Russian fleets allows them to share the combined An-124-100 commercial fleet of seventeen aircraft (twelve of which belong to Antonov Airlines). [2] In 2017 Antonov Airlines opened a United Kingdom office at London Stansted Airport, with a first flight in February by an Antonov An-124 Ruslan. [3]

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

At the outbreak of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the An-225 Mriya was at its home base of Antonov Airport in Hostomel undergoing an engine swap. [4] [5] During the Battle of Antonov Airport the site was captured by the Russians, and the An-225 was destroyed. [6] [7] UkrOboronProm said that: "The restoration is estimated to take over 3 billion USD and over five years. Our task is to ensure that these costs are covered by the Russian Federation, which has caused intentional damage to Ukraine's aviation and the air cargo sector." [4] [7] Other Antonov Airlines aircraft were diverted to Leipzig/Halle Airport upon completion of commercial missions, from where the airline continued operations with five An-124 aircraft. [8] [9]

Notable operations

Fleet

Antonov Airlines Antonov An-22 Antonov An-22 1.jpg
Antonov Airlines Antonov An-22
Antonov Airlines Antonov An-74 Antonov-An-74.jpg
Antonov Airlines Antonov An-74
Antonov Airlines Antonov An-124 Antonov An-124-100 Ruslan, Antonov Airlines JP295359.jpg
Antonov Airlines Antonov An-124

Current fleet

The Antonov Airlines fleet comprises the following aircraft (as of 5 April 2022): [18] [19] [20] [8]

Antonov Airlines fleet
AircraftIn
fleet
OrdersRegistrationNotes
Antonov An-22A Antei 1UR-09307In Kyiv during attacks, damaged [9]
Antonov An-28 1UR-NTESustained minor damage inside hangar [9]
Antonov An-124-100 Ruslan 2–3* (2 active)UR-82029
UR-82072
UR-82073
UR-82073 in Kyiv during attacks, condition unknown
Antonov An-124-100M Ruslan 4 (3 active)UR-82007
UR-82008
UR-82009
UR-82027
UR-82009 in Kyiv during attacks, damaged inside hangar during refit. [9] [21] [22] [23] [24]
Antonov An-178 ?UR-EXPCondition unknown
Total8–10* (5 active)

*Cannot give the exact size of fleet until condition of all the aircraft is confirmed.

Former fleet

The An 225 was destroyed in February 2022. 50 dniv aktivnogo sprotivu okupantu 02.jpg
The An 225 was destroyed in February 2022.

The following Antonov Airlines aircraft were destroyed in 2022 during the Battle of Hostomel Airport: [8]

The airline's fleet previously included the following aircraft (as of 2009): [26]

Antonov Airlines also operated the following aircraft for the Antonov Design Bureau:[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antonov</span> Ukrainian state owned aircraft manufacturer

Antonov, is a Ukrainian aircraft manufacturing and services company. Antonov's particular expertise is in the fields of very large aeroplanes and aeroplanes using unprepared runways. Antonov has built a total of approximately 22,000 aircraft, and thousands of its planes are operating in the former Soviet Union and in developing countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air Foyle HeavyLift</span> English aviation company, 2001 to 2006

Air Foyle HeavyLift was a joint venture airline based in Bishop's Stortford, England. It specialised in heavy air cargo services. It was the worldwide sales agent for Antonov Airlines of Kyiv, Ukraine.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines, LLC is an airline based in Ulyanovsk, Russia. It specializes in providing air charter services through all-cargo aircraft certified for global operations. Volga-Dnepr Airlines serves governmental and commercial organizations in the petrochemical, energy, aerospace, agriculture, and telecommunications industries well as humanitarian and emergency service organizations with its services through its 17 aircraft fleet. Its main base is Ulyanovsk Vostochny Airport (ULY), Ulyanovsk and it has a hub at Krasnoyarsk Yemelyanovo Airport (KJA), Krasnoyarsk. The airline also operates an operations base in Houston, Texas, United States at George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Antonov An-225 Mriya Soviet/Ukrainian heavy strategic cargo aircraft

The Antonov An-225 Mriya was a strategic airlift cargo aircraft designed and produced by the Antonov Design Bureau in the Soviet Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antonov An-124 Ruslan</span> Soviet large military transport aircraft

The Antonov An-124 Ruslan is a large, strategic airlift, four-engined aircraft that was designed in the 1980s by the Antonov design bureau in the Ukrainian SSR of the Soviet Union (USSR). The An-124 is the world's second heaviest gross weight production cargo airplane and heaviest operating cargo aircraft, behind the destroyed one-off Antonov An-225 Mriya and the Boeing 747-8. The An-124 remains the largest military transport aircraft in service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antonov An-22</span> Soviet heavy military transport aircraft

The Antonov An-22 "Antei" is a heavy military transport aircraft designed by the Antonov Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. Powered by four turboprop engines each driving a pair of contra-rotating propellers, the design was the first wide-body transport aircraft and remains the world's largest turboprop-powered aircraft to date. The An-22 first appeared publicly outside the Soviet Union at the 1965 Paris Air Show. Thereafter, the model saw extensive use in major military and humanitarian airlifts for the Soviet Union, and is still in service with the Russian Aerospace Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antonov An-26</span> Soviet turboprop transport aircraft

The Antonov An-26 is a twin-engined turboprop civilian and military transport aircraft, designed and produced in the Soviet Union from 1969 to 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antonov An-28</span> Utility transport aircraft by Antonov

The Antonov An-28 is a twin-engined light turboprop transport aircraft, developed from the Antonov An-14M. It was the winner of a competition against the Beriev Be-30, for use by Aeroflot as a short-range airliner. It first flew in 1969. A total of 191 were built and 16 remain in airline service as at August 2015. After a short pre-production series built by Antonov, it was licence-built in Poland by PZL-Mielec. In 1993, PZL-Mielec developed its own improved variant, the PZL M28 Skytruck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polet Airlines</span> Defunct Russian cargo and passenger airline

CJSC «Polet Airlines» was an airline based in Voronezh, Russia. It operated a worldwide cargo and domestic passenger charter services from Voronezh, as well as regional passenger and cargo services from Sokol. It was one of two airlines which flew the Antonov An-124 Ruslan, the world's highest gross weight cargo airplane which specialises in oversized freight. Its collapse, over lease payments for these massive aircraft, left only the Volga-Dnepr Airlines/Antonov Airlines joint partnership in this market. Its main base was Chertovitskoye Airport, Voronezh. Polet is the Russian word for flight.

Ukraine Air Alliance is a cargo airline based in Kyiv, Ukraine. It operates services to Asia, Africa, North America, South America, and Europe. Its main bases were Boryspil International Airport (KBP) and Zhuliany International Airport (IEV).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hostomel Airport</span> Cargo airport in Kyiv, Ukraine

Antonov Airport, also known as HostomelAirport, is an international cargo airport and testing facility in Ukraine, located near Hostomel, which is a northwestern suburb of Kyiv.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hostomel</span> Rural locality in Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine

Hostomel is a rural settlement in Bucha Raion, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine. It is located northwest of the capital Kyiv. It hosts the administration of Hostomel settlement hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Population: 18,466.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antonov An-74</span> Soviet/Ukrainian military transport aircraft

The Antonov An-74 is a Soviet/Ukrainian transport aircraft developed by Antonov. It is a variant of the An-72.

The PAK VTA ) is a Russian next-generation heavy military transport aircraft, currently under development by Ilyushin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Viktor Tolmachev</span> Russian engineer

Viktor Tolmachev was a Russian engineer. He was a member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences and chief designer of the Antonov An-124 Ruslan and An-225 Mriya transport aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volga-Dnepr Airlines Flight 4066</span> 13 November 2020 aviation accident in Novosibirsk, Russia

On 13 November 2020, Volga-Dnepr Airlines Flight 4066 suffered an uncontained engine failure on take-off from Tolmachevo Airport, Novosibirsk, Russia for Vienna International Airport, Vienna, Austria. The aircraft was severely damaged, and was further damaged when it overran the runway on landing at Tolmachevo airport. The investigation into the accident is currently ongoing.

Many aviation-related events took place in 2022. Throughout the year, the aviation industry was recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Antonov Airport</span> Part of the Russian invasion of Ukraine

The Battle of Antonov Airport, also known as the battle of Hostomel Airport, was a military engagement which occurred at the Antonov Airport in Hostomel, Kyiv Oblast, during the Kyiv offensive of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hero City of Ukraine</span> Honorary title for cities in Ukraine

Hero City of Ukraine is a Ukrainian honorary title awarded for outstanding heroism during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. It was awarded to ten cities in March 2022, in addition to four already-named Hero Cities of the Soviet Union. This symbolic distinction for a city corresponds to the distinction of Hero of Ukraine awarded to individuals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antonov An-325</span> Air-launch-to-orbit aircraft by the Soviets

The Antonov An-325 was a proposed evolution of the Antonov An-225 "Mriya", designed to launch spacecraft of various purposes into circular, elliptical and high-circle orbits, including geostationary orbit. It was planned to be an enlarged and improved version of the An-225 but was never built.

References

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  2. "Volga-Dnepr | Company Profile". Volga-Dnepr Airlines . n.d. Archived from the original on 17 January 2021. Retrieved 2 March 2022. The airline operates a unique fleet of ramp aircraft comprising of[ sic ] 12 Antonov-124-100 'Ruslan' and five Ilyushin-76 freighter aircraft
  3. "UK office handles Antonov Airlines charter". aircargonews. 20 February 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  4. 1 2 "Russians destroy An-225 "Mriya", it will be restored at the expense of the occupant" (Press release). UkrOboronProm. 27 February 2022. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  5. Kulisch, Eric (27 February 2022). "The 'Dream' is dead: Air cargo wonder destroyed in Ukraine". FreightWaves. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022. A Ukrainian defense industry association said the AN-225 will be restored at Russia's expense, which it put at $3 billion. Rebuilding the plane would take five years, it said.
  6. "AN-225 Destroyed by Russian forces at Gostomel". airlineratings.com. 27 February 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 Guy, Jack (28 February 2022) [2022-02-27]. "World's largest cargo plane damaged in Ukraine". CNN . Archived from the original on 27 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022. The enormous aircraft, named 'Mriya,' or 'dream' in Ukrainian, was parked at an airfield near Kyiv when it was attacked by 'Russian occupants,' Ukrainian authorities said, adding that they would rebuild the plane. 'Russia may have destroyed our 'Mriya'. But they will never be able to destroy our dream of a strong, free and democratic European state. We shall prevail!' wrote Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Twitter. There has been no independent confirmation of the aircraft's destruction. A tweet from the Antonov Company said it could not verify the 'technical condition' of the aircraft until it had been inspected by experts
  8. 1 2 3 "Antonov Airlines updates on fleet as it gains access to Hostomel". Air Cargo News. 6 April 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Чому треба відновити "Мрію". Перше інтервʼю з новим менеджментом "Антонова" — Forbes.ua". forbes.ua (in Ukrainian). 23 June 2022. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
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  16. Pavey, Rob (31 March 2011). "SRS pump will head to Japan". The Augusta Chronicle . ISSN   0747-1343. LCCN   sn83016181. OCLC   956073125. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2022. The pump was moved Wednesday from the construction site in Aiken County to a facility in Hanahan, S.C., for minor modifications, and was trucked to Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, where it was picked up by the world's largest cargo plane, the Russian-made Antonov 225, which flown it to Tokyo
  17. "Antonov flies maglev trains in a single flight". No. 1 July 2020. Global Cargo News. Archived from the original on 1 July 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2020. Antonov Airlines has completed a unique cargo delivery of two Max Bögl TSB maglev trains from Munich, Germany to their customer Chengdu Xinzhu Road & Bridge Machinery Co. Ltd., Chengdu, China in cooperation with KN Airlift GmbH company
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  21. "Comandante do Antonov An-225 filma sua primeira visita ao avião após ser destruído". 2 April 2022.
  22. JACDEC [@JacdecNew] (1 April 2022). "Further images highlight the damage and destruction inside the Kiev-Gostomel Airport hangar (UKKM), Ukraine. Antonov AN-225 (UR-82060) as well as substantially damaged Antonov An-124 (UR-82009) and Antonov An-28 (UR-NTE). @flyrosta https://t.co/hnrLs4RGFd" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 9 April 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2022 via Twitter.
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