The owner of the world’s largest aircraft has set up an office at Stansted Airport as part of a plan to increase flights of its supersized transporters to British airports, and worldwide.

Antonov Airlines, the air transport division of the major Ukrainian-based Antonov Company, made the decision to set up its UK office at Stansted following consultation with the Department for International Trade (DIT). The new office is located at the airport’s Diamond Hangar where the company currently employs 21 staff and is going to expand.

Derek Noakes, a DIT international trade adviser, introduced the company to INVEST Essex, the inward investment arm of Essex County Council as well as DIT inward investment experts.

He said: “By collaborating in this way we were able to demonstrate to Antonov Airlines that Stansted was the ideal location for them and that the move there and ongoing support would be seamless.

“We played a leadership role in bringing together the expertise needed to help Antonov Airlines set up its UK operation, which included banking, legal and recruitment.”

The company’s business development director, Michael Goodisman, said: “The support from DIT proved to be a very effective contribution to the successful establishment of our UK office.

“I can think of no better demonstration of the value of DIT’s support. The UK is an ideal location from which to initiate our vision and we continue to coordinate with DIT and INVEST Essex.”

Antonov Airlines owns and operates the 250-tonne payload Antonov AN-225 Mriya, as well as a fleet of seven AN-124-100 freighters and an AN-22.

The airline recently conducted one of its first charter operations from Stansted, with the cargo being a helicopter measuring almost 4.4metres high which travelled to Southeast Asia on one of the airline’s AN-124-100 freighters.

Antonov Company, headquartered in Kiev, is a Ukrainian state-owned enterprise which designs, develops, produces, and maintains the AN freighters. Antonov’s fleet has made 550 cargo flights to and from Britain over the past decade, transporting equipment for the aerospace, oil and gas, defence, energy and other sectors.