Antonov reports 42 percent growth in 2018 YTD, plans to modernize fleet

Ukrainian outsize-cargo carrier Antonov Airlines reported an overall increase in revenue of 81 percent for the airline in 2017, and a 42 percent rise in revenue for the period of January to May of this year, compared to the first five months of 2017.

Antonov attributed the influx in revenue to higher demand in the U.K., thanks to its sales partner in the region, Dreamlifts Ltd., which “provided a seamless transition to Antonov Airlines customers in the global supply chain” since the companies’ forged a relationship in 2016.

In a statement from Antonov earlier this year, the carrier reported a record-high 139 percent increase in revenue tonne kilometers (RTKs) flown for energy projects in 2017. While its monetary intake is hot, no figures on net income for the 2017 year have yet been released.

Concurrently, Antonov has increased the payload of two of its An-124 airframes from 120 to 150 tonnes and plans to expand its other five An-124s soon. It is also working to modernize its fleet, partnering with Western suppliers to ensure its aircraft are up to snuff.

Antonov’s fleet includes the An-124-100 “Ruslan” aircraft, which offers 150 tonnes of capacity; the An-22, the world’s largest turboprop-powered aircraft, with a 60-tonne payload; and the largest aircraft in the world, the An-225 “Mriya,” which offers a 250-tonne payload.