How it began
The An-225 Mriya was designed and produced by the Antonov Design Bureau in Kyiv, in what was then the Soviet Union. Its name means dream in Ukrainian. It was developed from the Antonov An-124 Ruslan, and construction began in 1985. The aircraft made its maiden flight on December 21, 1988. Only one was ever completed. A second airframe with a slightly different configuration was partly built.
How it works
The An-225 was a very large cargo aircraft for strategic airlift. With a maximum takeoff weight of 640 tonnes, it held several records, including heaviest aircraft ever built and the largest wingspan of any aircraft in operational service. It was built to carry loads too large or heavy for any other aircraft, the first of which was the Soviet Buran orbiter.
What changed first
Between 1988 and 1991 the aircraft served as the main means of transporting the Buran-class orbiters of the Soviet space program. When the Soviet Union ceased to exist and the Buran program was terminated, the only completed An-225 was left unused and without a purpose.
What lasted
Antonov Airlines, which had begun commercial heavy-lift work with a fleet of An-124 and An-12 aircraft, found that it needed something larger than the An-124. The first An-225 was therefore restored and entered commercial service carrying outsize cargo, operated by Antonov Airlines.
Where it stands today
The only completed An-225 was destroyed in February 2022 at Antonov Airport in Hostomel, near Kyiv, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities said the aircraft would be rebuilt, and in 2022 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced plans to complete the second airframe to replace it.
