Built to replace the An-22 heavy transport, the Antonov An-124 Ruslan 'Condor' was the world's largest aircraft when it entered service in the mid-1980s, even larger than the similar US C-5. Built for the same role, the only noticeable difference from its US counterpart is a low-set tailplane although various other design changes make it a much more effective aircraft. To begin with, the An-124 can carry a larger payload due to a heavier zero-fuel weight, and its cabin space is also bigger. Furthermore, the An-124 is capable of operating from 1,200-m strips of rough field or packed snow and has kneeling capability for easier loading and unloading, avionics include a fly-by-wire system and INS. The An-124 was adopted by Aeorflot and V-TA and now also serves in various Russian and foreign airlines as well as being leased by a few Western nations including Germany and the US. Such has been its success that additional orders for this superb aircraft continue to be made.

First flight of the An-124 Ruslan 'Condor' was on 26 December 1982 and it entered service in 1986. Aircraft built after the year 2000 are designated An-124-100 and are given an airframe upgrade while other improvements made in the Ukraine bring the aircraft to An-124-100M-150 standards. An-124s have carried a number of bizzare payloads including a full locomotive, an EP-3 aircraft, a whale and the Obelisk of Axum (the heaviest object ever flown by air) sent from Rome to Ethiopia in 2005.