Antonov Airlines’ new Houston, USA office has been getting into the swing of things by transporting an outsized satellite to French Guiana.
The Al Yah 3 Satellite, the first of Orbital ATK’s GEOStar-3 satellites, was accommodated in a container measuring 11.4 metres long, 4.6 metres wide and 4.1 metres high, and weighing 23 tonnes.
It travelled from Washington Dulles International Airport to Cayenne, French Guiana on board one of Antonov’s seven AN-124-100s, which is capable of accommodating oversized cargo and has a payload of up to 150 tonnes.
Antonov Airlines director of sales for North America, Amnon Ehrlich says: “Due to the size and weight of the cargo, we used a low-profile ramp system – specifically designed and manufactured by Antonov Company for the satellite and space transportation sector, to safely and efficiently load and offload the satellite.”
He adds: “The aircraft returned to Washington Dulles International Airport with Orbital ATK’s newly developed Galileo spacecraft container in order to accommodate another satellite transport requirement for Orbital ATK.”
The Ukrainian heavy lift and super heavy lift operator established a UK office in London at the start of 2017, and has appointed general sales agents in Japan, Australia and India.
