Chennai airport on Sunday received a rare aircraft, an Antonov AN-124, a very large cargo aircraft with a payload capacity of up to 150 tonnes.
Operated by Russian freight company Volga-Dnepr Airlines, the aircraft landed at the airport carrying 53.46 tonnes of machinery from China’s X’ian Xianyang airport. The entire cargo was later loaded in 13 trucks, says a press release from Chennai airport.
This is the first time that an AN-124 has arrived with a considerable amount of payload. Chennai airport being the major gateway to South India, such hauls are expected to become a regular occurrence in future. The aircraft is now kept in Bay no-104 and is expected to leave the airport on September 11 at 1130 hr.