Ruslan international – the joint venture company which manages and markets the 17-strong fleet of giant Antonov An-124 aircraft belonging to its shareholders Antonov Airlines and Volga Dnepr Airlines – pulled out all the stops to deliver an urgent shipment of ethanol production equipment in time for a VIP opening ceremony. The cargo – for a new ethanol production facility operated by one of Brazil’s leading producers - was originally intended to be transported by ship. However, because it was needed in time for the opening ceremony attended by the country’s President and other VIPs, the only solution was to fly it from Toronto to Viracopos using the only aircraft large enough for the job - a giant AN-124. The entire process of flight booking, transport cradle design, fabrication and delivery to exporter, permit applications, aircraft positioning and flight departure were all performed by Ruslan International within 5 days (including a weekend) of first notification. The cargo totalled 79,000 kilos, with the heaviest individual piece weighing in at 58,015 kilos, and measuring 13.157m x 3.15m x 3.81m. The project was performed in cooperation with Fly Easy, a charter broker based in Brazil. Says Ruslan International Commercial Executive Paul Bingley: “We are very glad we were able to accommodate this urgent request, which successfully exploited the full range of expertise which Ruslan International can bring to bear in such demanding situations.”