Russian outsize cargo carrier Volga-Dnepr has taken part in a conference within the federal agency on industry aimed at creating a controlling company to oversee resumption of Antonov An-124 Ruslan production.
Volga-Dnepr is pressing to restart serial production of the type. It says the industrial aviation logistics sector is expanding by 8-10% a year and at least 50 new An-124s will be required by 2030.
The conference was attended by a range of Russian and Ukrainian suppliers, developers and manufacturers, and discussed the basic issues of participation in, and management of, the project.
"Participants unanimously supported the concept of renewing series production of the An-124," says the carrier.
There are 56 An-124s in service, of which Volga-Dnepr has 10. The Russian transport company has recently agreed a tie-up with Antonov Airlines, which has seven An-124s in its fleet.
Volga-Dnepr has posted a 14% increase in sales volume on chartered An-124 freight transportation in the first nine months of this year. Sales volume for its Ilyushin Il-76 operations more than doubled.
Source: Flight International
