Antonov Airlines performed the most difficult cargo transportation of a GSAT-31 communications satellite for the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and Flywell Aviation from HAL Bengaluru Airport, India (VOBG) to Cayenne Félix Eboué Airport, French Guiana (CAY).
Antonov worked closely with Flywell Aviation to meet all ISRO requirements for transporting the satellite, which weighed a total of 18,000 kg, including a specialized container for its transportation.
According to Michael Goodisman, director of business development at Antonov Airlines, the airline worked together with the customer to ensure reliable loading and safe air transportation of this sensitive equipment, during the transportation of cargo (in the air and during aircraft refueling), the crew maintained the necessary temperature indicators and pressure, and also monitored other characteristics.
The AN-124-100 delivered the satellite on the second of three flights contracted by Antonov Airlines to flywell aviation on behalf of ISRO.
GSAT-31 was launched in early February 2019 from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana on an Ariane 5 ECA launch vehicle.
The first satellite, GSAT-11, was delivered by Antonov Airlines on the same route in October 2018, and the last flight under this contract is due at the end of this year.
The Ukrainian airline “Antonov Airlines” (Antonov Airlines) is a structural subdivision of ANTK “Antonov”. The airline’s fleet consists of cargo aircraft, including the world’s largest An-225. The Guinness Book of Records recorded the air transportation by the airline of an electric generator weighing 187.6 tons from Frankfurt-Hahn Airport (Germany) to Yerevan (Armenia).
The company has a representative office in the USA, in Houston (Texas).
International air cargo transportation in Ukraine is successfully carried out by M&M Ukraine (head office in Kiev, subdivision in Borispol and Odessa) in all promising and demanded world directions. “M&M Ukraine” provides high-quality and safe cargo transportation from China to Ukraine, from Ukraine to China, to Europe and to the USA.