Heavy-lift carrier Antonov reports 139 percent growth in 2017 traffic, mostly energy-related

Ukrainian carrier Antonov Airlines is living up to its reputation as a major carrier for the robust needs of the oil-and-gas industry. This week, after transporting a 109-tonne power-plant rotor from Genoa, Italy, to Karachi, Pakistan, on one of its An-124-100 aircraft, the Ukrainian airline said energy-related equipment made up 80 percent of its traffic in 2017.

In today’s era of intense demand for general cargo, Antonov’s commercial manager, Martin Griffiths, said the market for its specialized, heavy-lift service was equally strong, reporting a record-high 139 percent increase in revenue tonne kilometers (RTKs) flown for energy projects in 2017.  This traffic included four flights from Slovenia to Mexico providing, more than 60 megawatts of power, and 41 flights from the United States mainland to its Puerto Rico territory.

Antonov also upgraded two of its An-124-100 aircraft, allowing them to operate at their designed maximum payload of 150 tonnes, the carrier said.