An Antonov Airlines’ AN-124−100 Ruslan aircraft has flown one and a half times around the globe performing a series of commercial flights.
The aircraft flew from Mary International Airport, Turkmenistan to Helsinki, Finland on Tuesday 18 September 2017, where it took on board commercial cargo consisting of industrial heat exchangers, weighing 54 tonnes.
The following day, the aircraft arrived at Campinas, Brazil, after making two landings at Leipzig, Germany, and Dakar, Senegal. The cargo was delivered to Viracopos International Airport, Campinas, Brazil on 20 September.
The AN−124−100 Ruslan aircraft then flew to Bangor, Maine, USA to transport water purification plants, weighing a total of 58 tonnes, to Darwin, Australia. Interim landings were performed in Anchorage, Alaska, and Narita, Japan.
From Australia, the AN−124−100 returned to Turkmenistan, before flying to Milan, Italy, where it took a 62-tonne cargo on board to deliver it to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The AN-124−100 Ruslan aircraft covered a total of 62,000 kilometres, which is one and a half times the length of the equator.
Antonov Airlines air transportation division director, Mikhail Kharchenko says: “September 2017 was one of the most productive months for Antonov Airlines over the last two years. Commercial operations were performed by five of our AN−124−100s with flights duration at a total of 500 hours.”
