May 28 - Lambert St Louis International Airport has handled a trailer-mounted flight simulator, a control trailer and containerised associated equipment bound for the Middle East onboard an Antonov freighter.
The cargo had a total weight of 45 tonnes which is well within the 125-tonne payload of the AN-124, but with the two trailers each measuring 15.9 m x 2.55 m x 4.1 m, the load took full advantage of the aircraft's fuselage length.
The equipment was loaded onto the aircraft using a simple drive-on, drive-off method, utilising the freighter's opening nose and tail, and the special vehicle ramp that it carries.
David Lancaster, cargo development director at Lambert St Louis, said that the North American airport is able to provide services for all shapes and sizes of cargo. "We routinely welcome charters here, carrying diverse loads that reflect the region's heavy industry and hi-tech manufacturing."
The flight was managed by Ruslan International, which manages and markets the 17 AN-124 aircraft owned by its shareholders Antonov Airlines and Volga-Dnepr Group.
