Hunting for a giant (or two)

Having slimmed down its fleet and weathered financial squalls, Abu Dhabi-based cargo specialist Maximus Air is now looking for new aircraft. Alan Dron reports.
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If anyone knows where they can lay their hands on a spare Antonov An-124 or two, Mohamed Ebrahim Al Qassimi would like to hear from them.
 
The CEO of outsize cargo specialist Maximus Air would dearly like to add to his existing single example of the giant Ukrainian-built freighter, as the Abu Dhabi-based company continues to focus on the outsize cargo market.
 
Maximus is about to sell the older of its two Ilyushin Il-76TD freighters “and we plan to acquire another one or two An-124s, if available”, said Al Qassimi. 
 
The critical phrase is ‘if available’.  Just 55 were built and only around half those examples are in the commercial sector. “We’re finding it difficult to locate a decent one; I wish they were like 737s or A320s. Life would be much easier!”
 
Assuming examples become available, Al Qassimi would prefer to take them on lease. For the moment, aircraft can be sub-leased from Antonov, but this is not ideal.
 
The need for new aircraft comes as Maximus says it is experiencing strong growth. The situation is considerably brighter than a couple of years ago, when the airline found that its fleet of five newly-acquired Airbus A300-600RP2F freighters were effectively being undercut by the explosion of belly hold space available in the fast-growing fleets of the major Gulf carriers – particularly those that operated Boeing 777s with their under-floor capacity.
 
The A300s were grounded and all have now been sold off to various buyers, including Turkish Airlines.
Instead, Maximus has focused exclusively on out-sized or specialist loads, ranging from horses or helicopters to heavy earth-moving machinery. 
 
The Middle East, Africa and Europe have proved fruitful markets, with the Antonov’s 120-tonne capacity and its capability – together with the Ilyushins – of operating into difficult airfields off the normal scheduled carriers’ route maps. The ability to use their on-board cranes to load and unload cargo is also invaluable when flying into airfields with minimal infrastructure.
 
One frustration for Al Qassimi is that Maximus has the necessary licences and approvals to operate to the US but the lack of aircraft is preventing this.
 
Despite these hurdles, the company is now back in profit – modestly – and at present “We’re well into the green,” said Al Qassimi. 
 
Humanitarian relief flights remain an important part of Maximus’ services. It regularly operates for the Red Crescent and recent tasks have included flying shelters, food and medicine to Lebanon and Jordan for refugees from Syria’s civil war, who were hit by unusually severe late winter storms.
 
One recent development has been the signing by Maximus of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Antonov to operate its new An-178 airlifter, which flew for the first time in May. 
 
Al Qassimi is careful to note that the MoU is non-binding and subject to further negotiations, but says that several factors have interested it in the new offering.
 
A development of the Antonov family that began with the An-148 twin-jet regional airliner, the An-178 differs from its civil cousin largely through having a rear cargo ramp. 
 
While handling considerably smaller loads than the An-124 or Il-76 – a maximum payload of 18 tonnes, or 10 tonnes at a range of 4000km – the An-178 has been designed with a cargo compartment that can take two standard shipping containers and is aimed at replacing aircraft such as the 1950s-vintage Antonov An-12 turboprop. 
 
Its size and capabilities potentially make it a versatile airlifter, especially where the cargo being carried does not merit the use of one of Maximus Air’s larger aircraft.
 
Maximus was attracted to it “Firstly and most importantly by its economy and new technology, plus the fact that it’s made by the same people who made the An-124. It’s as simple as that. It has a new and economical powerplant. Sometimes we go into airports where they don’t even have forklift trucks, so the fact that the aircraft can load and unload itself is very useful.”
 
Deliveries of the An-178 are due to start in around two years, which gives Maximus time to decide whether to firm up its MoU. 
 
In the meantime, if anyone has a spare An-124, you know who to call.

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