Antonov Airlines
| Company type | Branch of Antonov aviation enterprise |
|---|---|
| Industry | Air freight / Cargo airline |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Headquarters | Hostomel , Ukraine |
Area served | International |
| Products | Cargo air transport, oversized cargo charter flights |
| Owner | Antonov aviation enterprise |
| Parent | Antonov aviation enterprise |
| Website | antonov |
Antonov Airlines is a Ukrainian freight carrier operating as a branch of the Antonov aviation enterprise. The company specializes in international charter flights for oversized cargo. Its principal hub is located at Hostomel Airport near Kyiv. Following the Battle of Antonov Airport, the airline moved its remaining fleet to Leipzig/Halle Airport.
Foundation and development
Founded in 1989, the airline began its activities through a marketing partnership with Air Foyle, promoting worldwide charters utilizing the Antonov An-124 Ruslan. This collaboration concluded in June 2006. That same month, Antonov Airlines partnered with Russian carrier Volga-Dnepr Airlines to create the joint venture Rusland International, with both companies holding equal shares. This alliance enabled joint operation of a combined commercial An-124-100 fleet consisting of seventeen aircraft, twelve of which were owned by Antonov Airlines. In 2017, Antonov Airlines established an office in the United Kingdom at London Stansted Airport, marking its inaugural flight there in February with an An-124 Ruslan.
Impact of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
At the start of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the An-225 Mriya was stationed at its home base, Antonov Airport in Hostomel, undergoing engine maintenance. During the ensuing Battle of Antonov Airport, Russian forces captured the airfield and destroyed the An-225. The Ukrainian defense industry association stated that rebuilding the aircraft would require approximately $3 billion and take five years, with restoration costs to be borne by Russia due to the intentional damage inflicted on Ukraine’s aviation sector. Other Antonov Airlines aircraft completed their missions and were subsequently redirected to operate from Leipzig/Halle Airport, where operations have continued utilizing five An-124 aircraft.
Significant missions
- Transported an 88-ton water turbine from Kharkiv to Tashkent for the Tashtakumska Hydroelectric Plant;Template:Fix/category[citation needed]
- Delivered civil engineering machinery to assist with recovery efforts following the Spitak earthquake in Spitak, Armenia;Template:Fix/category[citation needed]
- Supplied vehicles and equipment for managing the Persian Gulf crisis, including mine-clearing bulldozers, mobile power stations, specialized mine and oil clearance vessels, and humanitarian aid;[1]
- Airlifted a 135.2-ton Siemens generator from Düsseldorf, Germany to Delhi, India using an An-124 aircraft;[2]
- Transported nuclear fuel in specialized containers from Habaniya, Iraq to Yekaterinburg, Russia as part of the United Nations’ disarmament program for Iraq;Template:Fix/category[citation needed]
- Moved a 102-ton locomotive from London, Ontario, Canada, to Dublin, Ireland;[3][4]
- Delivered a 70-ton generator from Doncaster Robin Hood Airport, United Kingdom, to Lahore, Pakistan to support power station requirements;Template:Fix/category[citation needed]
- Transported a 140-ton generator from Zagreb, Croatia, to Cebu, Philippines to replace one damaged by lightning;[5]
- Airlifted a 187.6-ton power plant generator from Frankfurt-Hahn Airport, Germany to Yerevan, Armenia; this feat is documented in the Guinness Book of Records[6]
- Delivered a 95-ton Putzmeister concrete pump from Atlanta Hartsfield Airport, USA, to Japan to aid recovery at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant;[7]
- On 20 July 2015, a single-piece electrical transformer weighing 76 tons was flown from Shenyang Taoxian International Airport, China, to Karachi, Pakistan for the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park power project;Template:Fix/category[citation needed]
- Transported two Max Bögl TSB maglev trains in a single flight from Munich, Germany, to Chengdu, China;[8]
Fleet
Current fleet
As of August 2025, the Antonov Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft:
| Aircraft | Quantity | Orders | Registration | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antonov An-124-100 Ruslan | 3 | 0 | ||
| Antonov An-124-100M Ruslan | 4 | 0 | [9][10][11][12][13] | |
| Total | 7 | |||
Former fleet
During the Battle of Hostomel Airport in 2022, the following Antonov Airlines aircraft were lost:[14]
- Antonov An-26-100 (UR-13395)
- Antonov An-74T-100 (UR-74010)
- Antonov An-225-100 Mriya (UR-82060)[15][16]
In addition, the airline's historical roster has included:
- Antonov An-12
- Antonov An-26
- Antonov An-28
- Antonov An-32
- Antonov An-74
- Antonov An-178
- Antonov An-140
- Antonov An-148
References
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:1 - ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:0 - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedGuy_20220228 - ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
External links
File:Commons-logo.svg Media related to Lua error in Module:Commons_link at line 62: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). at Wikimedia Commons
- Antonov Airlines official site
- Antonov Airlines UK Archived 4 August 2020 at the Wayback Machine
Lua error in mw.title.lua at line 359: bad argument #2 to 'title.new' (unrecognized namespace name 'Portal'). Template:Airlines of Ukraine
- Pages with reference errors
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Use dmy dates from September 2019
- Articles with invalid date parameter in template
- Articles with hatnote templates targeting a nonexistent page
- Pages with broken file links
- Webarchive template wayback links
- Airlines established in 1989
- Airlines of the Soviet Union
- Antonov
- Cargo airlines of Ukraine
- Soviet Union–United Kingdom relations
- Ukrainian companies established in 1989