Antonov's An-124 Plane Departs Kyiv for Leipzig

Antonov Airlines' An-124-100 model Ruslan aircraft (tail number UR-82073) performed a flight from Kyiv to Leipzig, Germany, for certification tests on July 11.

The aircraft is preparing to return to the skies with new engines, updated avionics, and increased operational capacity. Fedir Hryschuk, an official at the State Aviation Administration of Ukraine, expressed hope that the aircraft could once again fly in Ukrainian skies.

Some of Antonov's aircraft were stranded at bases destroyed or damaged after the Russian invasion in 2022. The world's only An-225 Mriya aircraft, in particular, was destroyed in these attacks. The company's fleet currently includes seven An-124-100 Ruslan aircraft.