Japanese broadcaster NHK has reported a fire involving a cargo aircraft during landing at Chubu Centrair International Airport (NGO) on the night of 22 October. Subsequent reports and flight-tracking data identified the aircraft as an Antonov Airlines An-124-100 Ruslan, which had arrived from Fairbanks, Alaska, after previously operating from Leipzig, Germany.
The Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is investigating the incident. According to Chubu Airport officials, the runway was closed between 19:22 and 19:37 local time, a total of 15 minutes, as the aircraft left the site.
The incident involves an aircraft type with a significant role in heavy and oversized cargo transportation. The Antonov An-124 Ruslan is currently the world’s largest operating cargo aircraft.
Antonov Airlines relocated its An-124-100 fleet from Hostomel, Ukraine, to Leipzig following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war. In August this year, a drone equipped with a detonator was reportedly discovered near a Ukrainian An-124-100 aircraft at its new base.
Antonov Airlines is now awaiting confirmation of the findings from the official investigations into the Chubu Airport incident.
