The Russian airline Volga-Dnepr, with its fleet of heavy An-124 Ruslan transporters, carries out transportation for which there are practically no alternatives. This was stated by the carrier's commercial director Vladimir Kaldin.
According to him, project oversized cargo is what needs to be delivered quickly, safely and soundly. However, not every shipper in this case risks sending valuable goods by land transport.
That's what the An-124 is for. These are generators, space satellites. We have a lot of experience over the years. Sometimes the cargo requires the manufacture of special equipment or tooling. Sometimes there is no one else to do it but us.
Kaldin explained that this is in demand for remote projects or the delivery of equipment from abroad.
The An-124 Ruslan is one of the most load-carrying aircraft in world history, first flew in 1984. The maximum take-off weight of 405 tons allows for transportation of almost any complexity.
New Ruslan transporters are no longer being built in Russia. Aviation expert Oleg Panteleev explained to "Pervyi Technicheskiy" that resuming production of 50-year-old air trucks is a pointless venture.