With international technical and financial assistance, Antonov intends to build a new An-225 Mriya, although there is still a long way to go until we can see the «Dream» take off again.
Our partner site Aeroin reported that specialists from Ukrainian manufacturer Antonov were able to gain access to Gostomel airport, located twenty-five kilometers northwest of Kyiv, after Russian troops left the site. This allowed work to begin on assessing the damage to the iconic An-225 aircraft, the world’s largest commercial airliner for three decades, but which was virtually destroyed in the war.
Antonov, however, harbors hope. In a Facebook post, the state-owned company says the construction of a new Mriya is a necessity.
«(The) Destruction of this legendary, unique aircraft by the Russian forces became a severe blow not only to ANTONOV Company, but also to the world community. Therefore, the restoration of the Mriya is a crucial task for us!», the company said.
«Indeed, some basic aggregates for the aircraft airframe are available. However, the new Mriya must meet current and perspective airworthiness standards. Besides, the aircraft must be equipped in accordance with the list of tasks that it will perform. This will require a large amount of design and engineering works, selection and purchase of appropriate components, test program, etc. Of course, this project will be realized under wide international cooperation, with the participation of leading companies and enterprises of the global aviation industry», the company continues.
There is no formal assessment of the costs involved in building another example of the An-225, but high-level estimates indicate that the costs could run into billions of dollars, precisely for the tasks Antonov listed as necessary in his publication. The project could not be carried out as it was 30 years ago. A lot has changed, and it would make no sense not to take advantage of today’s technology.
https://www.facebook.com/antonov.company/posts/4741357422658516
«The amount of funding and the possibility of using the components of the AN-225, which was destroyed by the Russian troops, will be determined by a special commission set up under the auspices of Ukroboronprom. Sources of funding will also be determined by the state. The funds already received by the fund will be used exclusively for the implementation of the project to rebuild the Mriya. Moreover, with transparent reporting for every hryvnia or dollar spent», concludes Antonov.
Finally, the manufacturer states that there are no deadlines for implementing the project to build a «new» An-225, on the contrary, everything is still in the realm of ideas, a time when emotions are still running high.
There is a feeling that Ukrainians are more willing to rebuild the aircraft for what it represents (a pride for the country, a «dream»), than for its economic viability. However, it is too early to draw conclusions. For now, those who follow and enjoy aviation embrace the hope of seeing the An-225 in the skies again.
