Ukraine's Antonov Airlines temporarily stops work on new An-225 Mriya aircraft

Ukrainian cargo carrier Antonov Airlines has completed all urgent work and will continue to restore the world's largest aircraft, An-225 Mriya, after the end of hostilities.

Source: sources in the state-owned company Antonov, in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda 

Details: Antonov Airlines has finished fault diagnosis on the wrecked An-225 Mriya. This process had to be done quickly to protect the remaining components. As of right now, the business "has focused its resources on higher priority tasks for the state".

A special fund established for the restoration of the Mriya was used to finance the work; US$3 million was raised from the fund's remaining balance. The company received the majority of this money as royalties from the sales of add-ons for the Microsoft Flight Simulator game that feature the An-225 aircraft.

The American corporation gave the company all of the money they made from the sale of the game's add-on in the first year, but only under the condition that the money would be used to reconstruct the aeroplane.

The new An-225 aircraft's precise cost has not yet been determined. Specifically, it will depend on Antonov's ability to cannibalise German and Canadian Ruslan aircraft for donor parts that Ukraine may be able to use.

Background: 

• After completing the upgrade for the firefighting variant of the An-32B, Antonov gave the aircraft to the State Emergency Service.
• Despite losing one-third of its large cargo aircraft fleet, Antonov Airlines is expected to generate more revenue this year than it did in 2021.

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