Dream Big. Dream Oversized. We’ll handle it for you.

**Antonov AN- 225** – being handled at Iquique

Airplanes are getting bigger. We like big at Consorcio Aviation! Below is a breakdown of some of the most well-known oversized cargo and passengers carriers besides the C-5M Super Galaxy that we already talked about in a previous post.

Consorcio Aviation can handle any oversized aircraft, whether carrying cargo or passengers. Contact our Flight Operations Department: fltops@consorcioaviation.com

Oversized cargo carriers:

The Antonov AN- 225, with MTOW 600,000 kgs, has been the world’s biggest cargo carrier since its completion in 1988. It was first designed to carry the Soviet Buran spacecraft. Now it carries almost anything around the world: submersibles and other maritime shipments, trains, helicopters and even other aircraft, automobiles, energy, oil and gas equipment, and much more.

Antonov AN-124 Ruslan: based in Ukraine, with MTOW 405,000 kg. Originally designed as a military transporter, it is now meant for long-range delivery of heavy and oversized cargo.

Another wide-body cargo aircraft is the Boeing 747 Dreamlifter, a modified version of the passenger-hauler Boeing 747-400 with MTOW of 364,235 kg produced in the United States.

C-17 Globemaster III: used by the US Air Force, it is the best for unpredictable conditions, being able to land on harsh and small airfields, thus overpassing others in flexibility. It’s maximum take-off weight is 265.3t.

For this year -mid 2019- we expect the Beluga XL to be in full service. With a distinctive extension on the fuselage top inspired by a beluga whale, the Beluga XL looks very similar to its predecessor, the A300-600ST Beluga. However, it has 30% more capacity with an MTOW of 227,000 kg.

As for passenger oversized aircraft:

The A380-800 is the biggest passenger aircraft in the world. It is a double-decker capable of carrying 850 passengers, but with business and first class seating arrangements taking up more room, it carries up to 550. Even though its size may seem to provide advantages, the disadvantages outweigh them when it comes to selling that many tickets or fueling it. Therefore, because the loss it may represent, this aircraft is soon to be discontinued.

Boeing 747-8. Known for its distinctive hump at the fore of the aircraft that makes it a double-decker, the 747-8 carries between 386 and 410 passengers taking into account space restrictions for business and first class. Without those restrictions, it could hold a whopping 500 plus passengers. Even though it is not the biggest, it is the longest passenger aircraft in the world.