This weekend the world’s largest turboprop aircraft, the Antonov An-22, returns to commercial service after sitting on the ground for 7 years. The An-22 has been chartered by DB Schenker’s subsidiary Karpeles Flight Services to carry a single 28-tonne piece of cargo from Zurich to Abu Dhabi. We have included a photo tour of the An-22 and the schedule for this weekend’s flights below. As with all cargo operations, the posted schedule is subject to change.
In addition to the 28-tonne cargo, a much smaller cargo of 10 GoPro cameras will be recording the flight for Air-Clips.com. The video from all flights this weekend should be available 2-3 weeks after the flights.
Tracking the An-22
The Antonov An-22 may be followed most easily via registration or aircraft type.
Registration: UR-09307
Aircraft Type: AN22
| Date | Callsign | Scheduled Time of Departure | Departure Airport | Arrival Airport | Scheduled Time of Airrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08 Sept | ADB397F | 1200 | GML/UKKM | ZRH/LSZH | 1530 |
| 09 Sept | ADB3697 | 1900 | ZRH/LSZH | TBS/UGTB | 0030+1 |
| 10 Sept | ADB3697 | 0230 | TBS/UGTB | AUH/OMAA | 0700 |
| 11 Sept | ADB3697 | 0500 | AUH/OMAA | GML/UKKM | 1230 |
NOTE: all times listed in UTC
The Antonov An-22—Inside and Out
This particular airframe was parked 7 years ago. Work to return it to airworthy status was completed in February of 2016, when the aircraft made its first flight in Ukraine.
The four turboprop engines each power two contra-rotating propellers.
The An-22 is flow by two pilots and carries an additional crew of 3-4.
Cargo is loaded via the rear door.
The An-22 can carry cargo up to 80 tonnes (176,370 lbs).
To understand how large the An-22 is, here is a photo with humans for scale.
Visit the JetPhotos catalog to see even more photos of the An-22. Happy tracking! ✈️
Watch the An-22 in action
