Rare aircraft designed for bulky loads arrives in Sri Lanka

By T.K.G. Kapila

Colombo, June 28 - The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) welcomed the arrival of Antonov-124, one of the world's largest cargo planes, at the Katunayake Air Force Base today. 

The aircraft's mission is to transport an MI-17 helicopter, a pivotal addition to the SLAF's peacekeeping operations in the Central African Republic.

Since 2014, the SLAF has been actively engaged in peacekeeping missions in the Central African Republic, deploying a fleet of three MI-17 helicopters to support these efforts.

The decision to utilize the Antonov-124 was driven by the need to facilitate major maintenance work, including a comprehensive overhaul of one of the MI-17 helicopters.