Recent AN225 fligts
Thread Starter
Recent AN225 fligts
Seems that good old An225 is back into operation as of late, doing actually quite a few flights to delivers medial equipment (I guess mostly PPE) all over the place.
Although I am very happy to see her flying I'm a bit baffled by the economics of it. Yes, there is a huge hold to fill and this type of freight is probably fairly light, so it is probably a good choice of equipment. Yet my understanding is that the An225 is a very expensive freighter that is (was) only considered for outsized cargo, i.e. when you really did not have any other choice. Given the current circumstances, I'd think that there is a lot of cheap alternative on the market (including passenger aircraft that could be easily converted for such a light load) so I don't quite understand how this works out on the money side. Is the Ukrainian government (or some other organisation) subsidising these flights ? Or did I miss something in the equation (quite possible
) ?
Although I am very happy to see her flying I'm a bit baffled by the economics of it. Yes, there is a huge hold to fill and this type of freight is probably fairly light, so it is probably a good choice of equipment. Yet my understanding is that the An225 is a very expensive freighter that is (was) only considered for outsized cargo, i.e. when you really did not have any other choice. Given the current circumstances, I'd think that there is a lot of cheap alternative on the market (including passenger aircraft that could be easily converted for such a light load) so I don't quite understand how this works out on the money side. Is the Ukrainian government (or some other organisation) subsidising these flights ? Or did I miss something in the equation (quite possible
) ?
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: England
Posts: 1,008
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
There's pretty much no spare freight capacity at all anywhere in the world at the moment, I noticed a Belarus reg'd IL62 operating into Doncaster the other day - one of the last civilian type operating in the world I think!
Aircraft need to move sheer volumes of freight at the moment rather than weight. If you think about strapping a load of PPE to airliner seats, you can't really fit that much in the cabin of them compared to a dedicated freighter.
Aircraft need to move sheer volumes of freight at the moment rather than weight. If you think about strapping a load of PPE to airliner seats, you can't really fit that much in the cabin of them compared to a dedicated freighter.
Thread Starter
I guess Airbus could get good use of their Guppy then...
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Hotel this week, hotel next week, home whenever...
Posts: 1,492
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Pedantic I know, but the Airbus ‘STA’ aircraft are not Guppies - they’re Belugas. The Guppy aircraft was based on the Boring 337 Stratocruisers and haven’t flown for decades. Beluga is based on the A300/A330 aircraft.
In this instance I doubt their “volume” would be much use as their bulbous bodies allow for additional volume “up top” and “out-wide” but the floor itself is only standard airliner size. You can’t stack a pallet on another pallet so little benefit.
In this instance I doubt their “volume” would be much use as their bulbous bodies allow for additional volume “up top” and “out-wide” but the floor itself is only standard airliner size. You can’t stack a pallet on another pallet so little benefit.
The Antonov 225 has been chartered by the German military to make three trips from China to Leipzig, each flight carrying 8.5 million face masks, the first of those arrived on Sunday according to www.tagesschau.de. I suspect that whatever to cost, given that German states are now mandating the wearing of masks on public transport and in shops, the government decided that they'd better make them available, even though presently homemade masks, cobbled together from scarves, bandannas or whatever else are currently acceptable.
Thread Starter
Thanks for those Infos.
I fully understand the need for rapid import of those face masks but I was just wondering about the economics of chartering the 225 for that purpose in what I would have thought to be a bear market for air cargo. I would think that two rotations of a Lufthansa cargo MD11 would be more economical - but I'm clearly not in the know.
I fully understand the need for rapid import of those face masks but I was just wondering about the economics of chartering the 225 for that purpose in what I would have thought to be a bear market for air cargo. I would think that two rotations of a Lufthansa cargo MD11 would be more economical - but I'm clearly not in the know.
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: England
Posts: 1,008
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Pedantic I know, but the Airbus ‘STA’ aircraft are not Guppies - they’re Belugas. The Guppy aircraft was based on the Boring 337 Stratocruisers and haven’t flown for decades. Beluga is based on the A300/A330 aircraft.
In this instance I doubt their “volume” would be much use as their bulbous bodies allow for additional volume “up top” and “out-wide” but the floor itself is only standard airliner size. You can’t stack a pallet on another pallet so little benefit.
In this instance I doubt their “volume” would be much use as their bulbous bodies allow for additional volume “up top” and “out-wide” but the floor itself is only standard airliner size. You can’t stack a pallet on another pallet so little benefit.
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/a...941na#2449a2dc
Thanks for those Infos.
I fully understand the need for rapid import of those face masks but I was just wondering about the economics of chartering the 225 for that purpose in what I would have thought to be a bear market for air cargo. I would think that two rotations of a Lufthansa cargo MD11 would be more economical - but I'm clearly not in the know.
I fully understand the need for rapid import of those face masks but I was just wondering about the economics of chartering the 225 for that purpose in what I would have thought to be a bear market for air cargo. I would think that two rotations of a Lufthansa cargo MD11 would be more economical - but I'm clearly not in the know.
Of course boxes could be "hand balled" into the cabin of PAX aircraft but I can't imagine just how labour intensive it must be to load and unload cargo shipped this way, and of course time is money on various levels, whether it be aircraft down time, crew or ground handling.
Thread Starter
Both LH Cargo and Aerologic appear extremely busy presently, last week LH Cargo were operating at least 2, sometimes 3 MD11 freighters per day between Toronto and Frankfurt, Aerologic also appear very busy. DHL are using the likes of Cargojet and Amerijet across the Atlantic, and everything points to there being very little slack in the pure cargo system at the moment.
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Hotel this week, hotel next week, home whenever...
Posts: 1,492
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Given the massive slump in business activity, one might wonder what they are hauling with such haste... can't be only PPE...
As the normal amount of pax flights is reduced but people still need to eat/drink/do their daily stuff the more dedicated freighters will be chartered to haul the necessities (or fill the shortfall).
In some sectors - on-line retail, for example - there has been an increase in business volumes as people find alternative ways to survive. One U.K. delivery company would normally have circa 400,000 parcels through their system per night at this time of year. Last week on an average night they had 1.2 million.
Thread Starter
That's a fair point - any idea what the "usual" split it between "pure cargo" and "mixed cargo" ?
Join Date: May 2008
Location: luxembourg
Age: 58
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The IL62 is a company called Rada, they have been very active well before the corona virus and lack of capacity, I used to see them often in Al Ain OMAL, where I was based.
Thread Starter
I wonder is there a point to fly this (admittedly nice) antique aircraft... when you have the very last fly-worthy of given type things can get complicated. I'm surprised they are allowed in European airspace (they were in Basel a few months ago - not implying it is in any way an unsafe operation, just that it must be quite complicated to maintain all authorisations, etc).
Thread Starter
recent flights
Wonder what the Ankara trip was about...
Thread Starter
Of course boxes could be "hand balled" into the cabin of PAX aircraft but I can't imagine just how labour intensive it must be to load and unload cargo shipped this way, and of course time is money on various levels, whether it be aircraft down time, crew or ground handling.
I wonder how long it took to load that plane...?!
Last edited by atakacs; 14th May 2020 at 22:12.
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Bishops Stortford
Age: 64
Posts: 143
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
well seems Swiss disagrees (or is very desperate)...
I wonder how long it took to load that plane...?!
I wonder how long it took to load that plane...?!
Thread Starter
Indeed
I would be very surprised if it did. You'd really need a large, well organised and trained team to achieve that. Imagine simply moving the boxes in, securing them... 233 seats (in 3 different configs, I'd guess they used most if not all of them). Anything is possible but that would be quite a feat, especially in a one off situation.
I would be very surprised if it did. You'd really need a large, well organised and trained team to achieve that. Imagine simply moving the boxes in, securing them... 233 seats (in 3 different configs, I'd guess they used most if not all of them). Anything is possible but that would be quite a feat, especially in a one off situation.
Last edited by atakacs; 16th May 2020 at 08:34.