The aircraft is well known for its unrivalled capability to operate from/into hot and high airfields in mountain regions. This aircraft can operate from/into austere/unpaved/unimproved airstrips.

The An-32 light military transport multipurpose aircraft can be operated in various climate conditions, including hot climate (up to 50oC) and from/to alpine airfields (up to 4,500 m).

The main aircraft purpose is to transport cargoes on short and medium lines. Besides it can be used for carrying people, parachute delivery of people, palletized cargo airdrop, and besides as the ambulance airplane.

The aircraft has a high maneuverability in flights into high-elevated airfields with difficult approaches.

The An-32P is the firefighting version distinguished for a series of forest firefighting missions around hard-to-access mountain ranges in Portugal and Spain.

The An-32 aircraft is fitted with all required modern cargo handling devices:

large cargo door in the rear fuselage with a ramp which can either be shifted under the fuselage or lowered to the ground thus providing fast aircraft unloading and loading from a truck;

Integral overhead cranes for loading and unloading cargoes of up to 3-tons weight;

demountable roller equipment providing handling of packed cargoes on pallets or platforms.

Semi-automatic locks in the roller equipment used to fasten pallets significantly reduce the aircraft downtime.

When cargoes are arranged on the cargo floor, the roller equipment is brought to the fuselage sides or removed.

Cargo compartment and easy access through the rear door dimensions allow the transport of large cargoes, self-propelled wheeled vehicles and cars. Cargoes and vehicles are secured to the floor by detachable tie-down fittings with the aid of nets and tie-down straps.

The cockpit and cargo compartment are pressurized and equipped with air conditioning system. Individual air temperature control of compartments provides the temperature required for the cargo transportation, while maintaining normal temperature conditions for the crew.

Cargo handling equipment and turbo-generator power plant are available to supply electric power and to start engines in poorly equipped airfields, thus providing self-sufficient operation of the aircraft.

The aircraft radio communication equipment, flight and navigation system allow flights to be performed in adverse weather conditions, both during the day and night time, on domestic and international routes.

The aircraft crew consists of three persons: two pilots and a navigator. An extra seat and a flight engineer's station can be equipped, if required. The An-32B commercial cargo plane and the An-32P fire-fighting aircraft carrying 8 tons of liquid, are derivates based on the An-32 military transport and were certificated by the CIS Interstate Committee Aviation Register in 1995.