Production of the Antonov An-124 Ruslan outsize freighter has stuttered back into life after a five year hiatus, with the handing over of the tenth example to Ulyanovsk-based cargo airline Volga-Dnepr.
The aircraft is one of three An-124-100s being produced by Aviastar of Ulyanovsk as a new production batch. The other two An-124s in final assembly have not yet been allocated to customers.
The assembly of Volga's aircraft was financed through a bank loan from Russia's Sberbank and from Volga-Dnepr's own money.
Volga-Dnepr signed separate direct contracts with suppliers for delivery of the An-124's four ZMKB Progress/Motor-Sich D-18T engines and avionics.
The new An-124 has a modernised passenger compartment for crew. It also has an up-to-date avionics suite comprising a mix of Russian and US sourced radio and navigation equipment.
Source: Flight International
