Antonov Airlines, in cooperation with Proair, delivered a satellite and related equipment from Ankara, Turkey to Florida, USA.
The satellite was transported in a special container fixed to the frame. A low-profile cargo ramp was used in combination with external cranes to load the item into the hold of an AN-124-100 aircraft. The entire air transport mission lasted 39 hours.
“For our cargo loading department, this project became a challenge. There were doubts the possibility of loading the satellite onboard the AN-124-100 because of the height of the container – 414.6 cm, while the size of cargo door cabin is 440 cm. We understood the importance of this transportation and did everything possible to successfully complete this mission,” said Vladyslav Ishchuk, commercial executive, Antonov Airlines.
The Türksat 6A is the first geostationary communication satellite built in Turkey. The logistics of the move were planned for six months, and it was imperative to carry out the transportation exactly on time for the launch.
Muhammet Davut Yüce, managing director of Proair Aviation & Charter Türkiye, explained; “In this project, which required much more detailed work than traditional charter flights, every aspect of the process was meticulously handled, and our excitement persisted until the very last material was unloaded from the aircraft.”
