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With Reconstruction Promise, World’s Largest Airplane May Resurge — But Billion-Dollar Cost and Long Timeline Challenge Future of Project
The Antonov AN-225 was not just an airplane. It was the largest ever built. A symbol of Soviet engineering that made its mark in the transportation of heavy cargo around the world. Its history began in 1985 when Ukraine was still part of the former Soviet Union. The goal was to transport rockets and Buran-class space shuttles as an alternative to the Myasishchev VM-T Atlant model.
The AN-225’s first official flight took place on December 21, 1988. The following year, it was introduced to the world at the famous Paris Air Show, attracting attention for its size and capacity. Years later, the aircraft gained prominence again for its commercial missions.
During the 2000s, the AN-225’s success in transporting ultra-heavy cargo led to plans for the construction of a second aircraft of the same type. Assembly of this new structure began in September 2006, with completion expected in 2008.
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However, the project was halted in 2009. In 2011, Antonov itself stated that about 300 million dollars would be needed to resume work.
The airplane also set records. In 2010, it carried the largest single piece ever transported by air: a 42.1-meter-wide load with wind turbine blades. The journey was from China to Denmark, reinforcing the aircraft’s reputation.
After its destruction, the Ukrainian state company Ukroboronprom confirmed the intention to rebuild the AN-225. The estimate is that the restoration cost will be around 3 billion dollars (approximately R$ 16.94 billion currently), with a timeline of up to five years for completion.
However, the project is only expected to advance after the end of the war. The future of the giant remains uncertain, but the promise of reconstruction keeps the story of the world’s largest aircraft alive.
How Was It Destroyed?
The Antonov AN-225 was destroyed at the beginning of the war between Russia and Ukraine in February 2022. It was parked at Hostomel Airport near Kiev when the site was attacked by Russian forces during the early days of the invasion.
The hangar where the aircraft was housed was bombed, and images released later confirmed that the AN-225 suffered catastrophic damage, including the destruction of the forward fuselage and wings.
Ukraine attributed responsibility to Russia, while Russia claimed that Ukraine had failed to remove the aircraft from the airport in time.
The plane was not evacuated before the attack because, according to Ukrainian officials, there was not enough time for that, given the rapid advance of Russian troops over the airport. Since then, only parts of the structure have been recovered, and the reconstruction plan has not yet been initiated.
With information from Aeroin.
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