Antonov Airlines is one of the leading companies in air transport of non-standardized cargo due to its weight or its large volume. In the last week of July, it transported mining equipment to Comodoro Rivadavia, in Argentine Patagonia.
The load was 40 tons of mining equipment, coming from Vatry, France. To meet strict deadlines and ensure continuity of operations, one of the largest aircraft in the world had to be used.
The load, which was divided into four sections, included a large semi-autogenous mill head (SAG). The transport was carried out on behalf of Dynami Aviation in an AN-124-100. In this regard, Jérémy Sigaul, Dynami Operations Manager, pointed out that «air transport was the only way to mobilize this equipment within the deadline indicated by the client.»
The choice of the AN-124 for this project was due to its capacity to accommodate more than 700 cubic meters of cargo. «The cargo pieces were loaded and unloaded using the cranes on board the AN-124. This equipment will be used for the creation of new tunnels in a mine near Comodoro Rivadavia,» said Olha Danylova, Commercial Executive of Antonov.
The cargo journey took two days. It was carried out with a stopover for the rest of the crew and refueling in Isla de Sal, Cape Verde. Meanwhile, a second technical stop was made in Viracopos, Brazil.