Plans Made to Rebuild the World’s Biggest Plane Destroyed in Ukraine

Plans are being made to rebuild the world’s largest plane first destroyed by Russian forces in the early days of its invasion of Ukraine -- though its manufacturer says such a goal remains far off.

Design work on a second Antonov An-225 cargo plane, also known as the Mriya -- “dream” in Ukrainian -- has begun, according to a statement posted on Facebook Monday by state-owned Antonov Co., which said exact details will only be specified once Russia’s war in Ukraine ends.

Hurdles for a rebuild of the giant aircraft, which was destroyed in February while undergoing repairs at an airfield near Kyiv, remain significant. Antonov estimates that a rebuild of the giant aircraft, which had an 88-meter (290-feet) wingspan, will cost “at least” €500 million ($500 million), and acknowledged that could grow further as it was “too early” to talk about specific costs.

It was not immediately clear how financing will be obtained for such an effort, with Ukraine’s economy under significant stress due to Russia’s assault, and the power supply curbs in place due to Russian air-attacks on energy infrastructure. Antonov’s parent company, state-run Ukroboronprom initially said after the aircraft’s destruction that restoring it would take more than five years and cost over $3 billion.

Antonov said about 30% of the components from the original plane can be used in building a new version after assessment by experts. It said it was responding to what it called “inaccurate” reports by German newspaper Bild and Ukrainian media that work on the aircraft had already begun.

Bloomberg Quicktake brings you live global news and original shows spanning business, technology, politics and culture. Make sense of the stories changing your business and your world.

Connect with us on…

[darnellwatson]

What that Plane had 20 or 24 Wheels on it, What was the Exact amount someone?