Ukraine’s Mriya An-225 aircraft sets new record

"Two blades of a windmill 42.1 meters long each were taken from China to Denmark on the order of one of leading freight forwarding and logistics companies Geodis Wilson A/S. While the total weight of the blades does not exceed 15 tons, only the An-225 the cargo compartment of which is 43 meters long, could handle the cargo of such size. It took the Mriya only 12 hours to deliver the blades," the press service said.

The Mriya An-225 is the world’s largest aircraft commercially available for carrying ultra-heavy and oversize freight. It was built in 1988 under the Buran space program to airlift the Buran space shuttle and the Energia rocket boosters.

The aircraft was modified and placed back in service in spring 2001. The same year the An-225 received its type certificate from the Interstate Aviation Committee Aviation Register (IAC AR).

In November 2004, the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) placed the An-225 in the Guinness Book of Records for its 240 records.