On 21st of December 2013 is 25th anniversary of the first flight of the world's largest transport aircraft Antonov An-225 Mriya and State Aviation Service of Ukraine has approved certificate of airworthiness of aircraft Antonov An-225 Mriya.

It was assigned resources and lifetime of 20 000 flight hours, 4000 flights, 45 years of operation. Thus until 2033 aircraft Antonov An-225 Mriya will provide international transportation of the most bulky cargos.

Antonov An-225 Mriya is a legendary and unique aircraft. Takeoff weight of Antonov An-225 Mriya reaches - 640 tons that far exceeding the current achievements of other aircrafts - 80 tons of takeoff weight more than Airbus A380. Aircraft Antonov An-225 Mriya made 240 international and national records including transportation of the most heavy cargo of 253,8 tons, the most heavy monocargo - 187,6 tons and the longest cargo of 42,1 meters.

Over the entire period of operation since 1992 aircraft Antonov An-225 Mriya was carried about 20 500 tons of cargo including more than 2500 tons in 2013.

History of world's largest transport aircraft Antonov An-225 Mriya

Development of Antonov An-225 Mriya was held on base of USSR Space Program. Aircraft Antonov An-225 Mriya had become the first stage for air-launched spacecrafts. Initially the main objective of the aircraft was transportation of various parts of rocket "Energy" and spacecraft "Buran". Designed length of some of that parts reached 60 meters, diameter - 8 meters. Transportation distance was 1500-2500 km.

The design of Antonov An-225 Mriya has been selected on basis of heavy transport aircraft An-124 Ruslan. Full-scale development of a new Antonov An-225 Mriya took three and a half years only.

In 1988 Antonov An-225 Mriya first flew in the sky and less than six months later on 3rd of May 1989 the aircraft was launched from the airfield of Baikonur Cosmodrome carrying the first cargo - spacecraft "Buran" weighing more than 60 tons. Antonov An-225 Mriya with spacecraft "Buran" made 14 flights of total duration of 28 hours and 27 min.

After the collapse of USSR (Soviet Union) funding of the program "Energy-Buran" was stopped and since 1994 aircraft Antonov An-225 Mriya was in the hangar and did not fly.

On 7th of May 2001 was the second birth of aircraft Antonov An-225 Mriya. Modernized aircraft Antonov An-225 Mriya made the first flight as the aircraft for air transportation of commercial cargo. By this time "Antonov Airlines" had large number of commercial orders for delivery of cargos of weight and dimensional parameters which exceeded the capacity of aircraft Antonov An-124 Ruslan.

Within a month Antonov An-225 Mriya performed about twenty test flights demonstrating a sufficiently high reliability and successfully completing the certification program.

On 26th of May 2001 aircraft Antonov An-225 Mriya received certificate of airworthiness and has become the main aircraft for commercial transportation of bulky cargoes worldwide.

Cost of aircrafts Antonov An-225 Mriya and Antonov An-124 Ruslan

Antonov An-225 Mriya - around 500 millions USD
There is one more copy of the aircraft that is readiness by 70% and is needed 500 millions USD for completion.

Antonov An-124 Ruslan - around 185 millions USD

You could visit virtually Antonov An-225 Mriya with 3D Tour and walk inside the world largest aircraft and walk inside the world largest aircraft and fly by Flight Simulator Boeing 737 to Antonov Airport (GML, UKKM) to look at Antonov An-225 Mriya on the ramp.

Organizers of commercial cargo flights of Antonov An-225 Mriya and Antonov AN-124 Ruslan

Antonov Airlines
GML
Gostomel, Ukraine

Pavel Korsun
Tour Guide
Ukraine tours and Kiev tours

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