The Antonov An-124 made an interesting journey this week, flying from Accra, Ghana, to Mumbai, India, and back again. The specialized freighter was carrying an oversized power generator which required urgent repairs. As demand for air cargo soars, planes like the An-124 have seen themselves flying missions globally.

This was no problem for the An-124, which has a payload capacity of 150 tonnes, more than enough to carry the 54-tonne generator. However, fitting the 10.5m long, 3.89m wide, and 4.13m high item required experts to be on hand for loading and unloading. The flight flew from Accra to Mumbai and then back once the repairs were complete.

An-124 back in the sky

After an An-124 suffered from engine failure and broken landing gear, the type was grounded in November. The move came as pre-emptive to ensure any flaws with the aircraft could be worked out and such situations did not occur in the future with its fleet.