Antonov AN-124 "Ruslan" celebrates its anniversary!

On 24 December, Antonov AN-124 "Ruslan", a one-of-a-kind ramp freighter aircraft, celebrates its anniversary since the first AN-124 captained by the Honoured Pilot of the USSR V.I.Terskoy made its maiden flight from Svyatoshino airfield near Kiev twenty-five years ago.

The Ruslan was designed by Kiev-based Antonov Aeronautical Scientific/Technical Complex (Antonov Design Bureau) and went into series production at Aviastar Aircraft Factory in Ulyanovsk and Aviant State Aircraft Factory in Kiev. Over 500 component suppliers and equipment manufacturers were involved in the aircraft's production cycle.

Initially designed as a military heavy transport, the AN-124 has featured unmatched payload/range capabilities in the international air cargo market, being deservingly considered as the most successful project among air transports worldwide. It is the only airplane in the world capable to carry one-piece cargoes weighing up to 150 tons, up to 36 meters lengthwise. AN-124 established 21 world records, including for payload (lifting over 170 tons to 10,750 meters) and for the closed-circuit flight range (over 20,000 km).

Today, Volga-Dnepr Airlines is the largest commercial AN-124 operator. In fact, it was our company that gave Ruslan its second birth as a commercial freighter, since Volga-Dnepr was established and meant to keep this aircraft type flying. Now, owing to initial efforts of Volga-Dnepr founding fathers led by Alexey Isaikin and also comprising Nikolay Cherkasov, Victor Tolmachev and Nikolay Kachalov, AN-124 continues to fly and make history of its own.

The company's fleet currently includes 10 such aircraft. As of H2 2007, Volga-Dnepr accounts for a 56% share of all heavy and outsize air cargo transportations with the greater portion of them performed by AN-124.

"AN-124 turned out to be a breakthrough that was far ahead of its time," says Volga-Dnepr Group President Alexey Isaikin. "For a quarter of a century this unique aircraft has clearly demonstrated its irreplaceability in the global air market. Our company as the world's largest operator of this aircraft has initiated successive steps to resume its production. This project can become one of the most promising programs for Russian aircraft industry for forthcoming years."

In 2003, Volga-Dnepr's President Alexey Isaikin and management of Antonov Design Bureau gave green light to the AN-124 resumed production and staged modernization project. To date, the interest in this project has been shown not only by the government, but by a number of private sector companies as well. Two new Ruslans are now planned to be built at Aviastar Aircraft Factory in Ulyanovsk, becoming the starting point in resumed series production of the famous transport airplane. With all that, Volga-Dnepr's team has the highest interest in continued life of AN-124. We believe that the life will definitely go on and many thousands of flights and dozens of anniversaries lie ahead for Ruslan!