Airbus and Boeing charter Antonov An-124s to speed up aircraft parts deliveries
Yesterday, Reuters reports that Airbus and Boeing have chartered an Antonov An-124 Ruslan strategic transport aircraft in recent weeks to accelerate the development of aerostructures for some civil and military aircraft.
Airbus & Boeing charter An-124s to transport widebody components
Reuters writes the charter is a “sign of lingering strains in the aerospace supply chain.” It adds, “The recent use of the An-124, detailed in this story for the first time, underscores pressure on manufacturers to keep assembly lines fresh and tackle pockets of delays that threaten a broad recovery in production schedules.”
Reuters cited unnamed industry sources and two regulatory filings, adding that Boeing’s latest charter followed a flight carrying parts for the 777F freighter earlier this year.
The An-124 is larger than the US Air Force’s C-5M Super Galaxy by some measures and was used to transport parts for the Airbus A350 airliner and the legacy Boeing 767, which is still produced as the 767-300F freighter and the KC-46A aerial tanker.
Speaking to Reuters, an Airbus spokesperson said “we sometimes use the Antonov,” while a Boeing spokesperson was more vague, saying that it uses a variety of transportation methods. Neither provided specifics.
The need for a buffer to Airbus’ seaborne transportation
Both Airbus and Boeing operate specialized transport aircraft for outsized cargo to transport aircraft components. Boeing modified four Boeing 747-400s as Dreamlifters specifically for its Boeing 787 programme.
Airbus has developed the much smaller Airbus A330-743L BelugaXL from its A330 widebody. Due to the proximity of Airbus’ production facilities (e.g., wings in Wales), Airbus is generally able to rely on barges more than Boeing, especially in comparison to Boeing’s globally dispersed 787.
Reuters quoted two industry sources as saying that Airbus’s decision to fly A350 components rather than send them by sea was a reflection of some degree of deterioration at a former Spirit AeroSystems plant in Kinston, North Carolina.
Boeing appears to have chartered the same An-124 to fly two upper 767 fuselage sections from its Daher Aerospace factory in Florida to Everett near Seattle. These would typically go by land.
The Air Force is increasing its orders for KC-46A tankers while the last 767-300Fs need to be delivered in 2027 before new regulations come into force.
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Airbus working to integrate Spirit AeroSystems facilities into Airbus
Quality assurance woes were a major factor in Boeing’s decision to reacquire Spirit. In the process, the company’s approximately 20% part of its business producing Airbus components was split off and taken over by Airbus in December.
Spirit AeroSystems says of its role in the A350 programme, “The central section panels are built in Kinston, North Carolina, then incorporated into the fuselage (Section 15) in Saint-Nazaire, France.”
Earlier this year, Airbus informed some customers of A350 delivery delays due to issues in securing sections from its Kinston factory. It seems that air freight was needed to avoid new delays and provide a buffer to the parts being sent by sea.
An Airbus spokesperson was quoted as saying, “Regarding Kinston, we are making progress towards separation from the previous owner and integration into the Airbus landscape. However , it remains a complex multi-year journey to complete.”
Even so, Flight Plan reports Airbus is quietly raising its 2026 internal airliner delivery target from 870 aircraft to 900. It delivered 793 aircraft in 2025 and 766 in 2024. Meanwhile, Boeing delivered 600 airliners in 2025.
Featured Image: Wikimedia Commons
