Antonov Airlines

Antonov Airlines was founded in 1989, initially operating through a marketing agreement with Air Foyle to promote Antonov An-124 Ruslan cargo charters globally. This partnership concluded in June 2006, coinciding with the establishment of a joint venture named Rusland International with Volga-Dnepr Airlines, where both companies held equal stakes. This collaboration allowed the sharing of a combined fleet of seventeen An-124-100 aircraft, twelve of which were owned by Antonov Airlines.

In 2017, Antonov Airlines expanded its operations by opening an office in the United Kingdom at London Stansted Airport, with its inaugural flight occurring in February of that year.

During the onset of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the An-225 Mriya was at Antonov Airport in Hostomel for maintenance. The airport was captured during the Battle of Antonov Airport, resulting in the destruction of the An-225. UkrOboronProm estimated the cost of restoration to exceed 3 billion USD and projected a timeline of over five years, asserting that these costs should be borne by the Russian Federation due to the intentional damage inflicted on Ukraine's aviation sector.

Following the invasion, remaining Antonov Airlines aircraft were redirected to Leipzig/Halle Airport after completing their commercial missions, where the airline continued operations with five An-124 aircraft.

Antonov Airlines has been involved in numerous significant cargo operations, including the transport of an 88-ton water turbine for the Tashtakumska Hydroelectric Plant from Kharkiv to Tashkent, and civil engineering vehicles to assist with earthquake recovery efforts in Spitak, Armenia.

Other notable missions included transporting vehicles and systems for mine clearance during the Persian Gulf crisis, a 135.2-ton Siemens generator from Düsseldorf, Germany, to Delhi, India, and nuclear fuel from Habaniya, Iraq, to Yekaterinburg, Russia, under a UN disarmament program.

The airline also facilitated the delivery of a 102-ton locomotive from London, Ontario, Canada, to Dublin, Ireland, and a 70-ton generator from Doncaster Robin Hood, UK, to Lahore, Pakistan, among various other international cargo missions.

As of August 2025, Antonov Airlines operates a fleet that includes several An-124 aircraft. However, the airline suffered significant losses during the 2022 conflict, with the destruction of three aircraft: the Antonov An-26-100 (UR-13395), Antonov An-74T-100 (UR-74010), and the Antonov An-225-100 Mriya (UR-82060).

Historically, the fleet also included various Antonov models such as the An-12, An-26, An-28, An-32, An-74, An-178, An-140, and An-148.