UKRAINE-BASED Antonov, which is one of only two air carriers - the other being Russian Volga-Dnepr - that operate heavy-lift capable aircraft in tramp services, is fielding requests to move all sorts of cargo that would normally be containerised, particularly semiconductors and other automotive production parts.
Spillover cargo is also flooding the multipurpose/heavy-lift ocean carrier market and the liner air cargo market, where desperate shippers are pushing what is normally container cargo into airplanes, including hot tubs, bikes, leaf blowers, and grills, reports IHS Media.
Antonov is fully booked out six weeks ahead, a relatively long period for forward bookings, commercial director Andriy Blagovisniy told IHS Media. 'Customers need to plan in advance, they should] consider this circumstance and avoid last-minute problems,' he said.
Mr Blagovisniy estimates that 40 per cent of the cargo Antonov is moving right now is spillover cargo that would normally be shipped in containers or by liner air carriers.
While Antonov Airlines frequently transports humanitarian aid, including medical supplies and personal protective equipment, demand for those services has also mushroomed since early 2020, Mr Blagovisniy said.
Antonov does not compete with liner carriers on cost, and its rates cannot be compared neatly with the per-kilogramme or per-cubic-meter rates of normal airliner cargo, Mr Blagovisniy said. The carrier 'is a different niche of the [air cargo] market,' he said. 'We compete on delivery time. This is the main reason why customers use Antonov, time is also money.'
However, Antonov's charter rates have mushroomed since early 2020. Very roughly, Mr Blagovisniy said, an AN-124 charter from China to the US would cost $1 million or more. Charter the behemoth AN-225, capable of moving a 250 metric tonne payload, and you are looking at spending US$1.5 million to $2 million for a cargo flight, depending on route and fuel costs, he said.
SeaNews Turkey
Spillover cargo is also flooding the multipurpose/heavy-lift ocean carrier market and the liner air cargo market, where desperate shippers are pushing what is normally container cargo into airplanes, including hot tubs, bikes, leaf blowers, and grills, reports IHS Media.
Antonov is fully booked out six weeks ahead, a relatively long period for forward bookings, commercial director Andriy Blagovisniy told IHS Media. 'Customers need to plan in advance, they should] consider this circumstance and avoid last-minute problems,' he said.
Mr Blagovisniy estimates that 40 per cent of the cargo Antonov is moving right now is spillover cargo that would normally be shipped in containers or by liner air carriers.
While Antonov Airlines frequently transports humanitarian aid, including medical supplies and personal protective equipment, demand for those services has also mushroomed since early 2020, Mr Blagovisniy said.
Antonov does not compete with liner carriers on cost, and its rates cannot be compared neatly with the per-kilogramme or per-cubic-meter rates of normal airliner cargo, Mr Blagovisniy said. The carrier 'is a different niche of the [air cargo] market,' he said. 'We compete on delivery time. This is the main reason why customers use Antonov, time is also money.'
However, Antonov's charter rates have mushroomed since early 2020. Very roughly, Mr Blagovisniy said, an AN-124 charter from China to the US would cost $1 million or more. Charter the behemoth AN-225, capable of moving a 250 metric tonne payload, and you are looking at spending US$1.5 million to $2 million for a cargo flight, depending on route and fuel costs, he said.
SeaNews Turkey