The world’s biggest aircraft, the Antonov-225 cargo plane, was destroyed by Russian forces while it was under repair at an airfield in Gostomel near Kyiv.
Confirming the information on Sunday, Ukraine's state-owned Ukroboronprom group said, “Restoration of the aircraft, known as Mriya, will take more than five years at a cost of over $3 billion following the attack.”
The revelation of the destruction of Antonov AN-225, also called ‘Mriya,’ which means ‘dream’ in Ukrainian, has upset aviation fans.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted Sunday, "Russia may have destroyed our 'Mriya'. But they will never be able to destroy our dream of a strong, free and democratic European state. We shall prevail!"
Antonov AN-225 was the only plane of its kind, though a second unit has been partially built.
It had the widest wingspan of any operational craft and held the record for heaviest aircraft, according to Simple Flying, a leading aviation news organisation.
The Ukrainian dream also landed at Dhaka Airport a few times, the last of which was back in 2010.
The Facebook page of Bangladesh Aviation Hub posted a picture last night which shows Mriya being lined up on runway 14 at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
Comparing Mriya with other planes
The six-engine Antonov AN-225 had a wingspan of 290 feet, longer than the Statue of Liberty, and a length of 275 feet. It weighed 285 tonnes when empty, making it the world's largest cargo plane.
Currently, the largest passenger jet is the Airbus A380, which has a wingspan of almost 262 feet and a length of just under 240 feet.
When used in a single-class configuration, the largest passenger plane is capable of holding 840 passengers. But it is used in a three-class configuration, meaning it can hold less than its highest capacity - 555 passengers.
The Airbus A380, which has an empty weight of around 277 tonnes, has now been discontinued after just over 250 units were produced.
Airbus believes that this model of plane will remain in operation for the next two decades. According to Insider, this is because of its high price tag of USD 445.6 million, which has resulted in airlines being less than willing to put it into service.
In terms of length, the Boeing 747-8 actually tops the Airbus A380, measuring just over 250 feet. Its wingspan is smaller than that of the Airbus, however, at just under 225 feet.
In 2023, the Boeing 777X will enter service, coming in two versions - the 777-8 and the 777-9, the latter of which is larger.
This plane is longer than both the Boeing 747-8 and the Airbus A380, with a length of just under 252 feet, making it the longest passenger jet. It has a wingspan between the two earlier passenger jets, measuring 235 feet.
In terms of cargo planes, one of Antonov AN-225's nearest competitors in terms of size is Lockheed C-5 Galaxy.
The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is still more diminutive than the Antonov AN-225, having a wingspan of just under 223 feet and a length of around 248 feet.
