At the beginning of the new century, the six-engine monster operated by Antonov Airlines took the global air cargo business to new and heavier heights. The 640-tonne aircraft underwent major refurbishment, was test-lown and received its Ukrainian type certiicate immediately before the 2001 Paris Airshow. It was eventually used on a commercial contract with the United States Department of Defense to deliver 216,000 prepared meals, on a single flight, to Thumrait, Oman for US military personnel based in the region in January 2002.
The An-225’s development was made possible thanks to the then Soviet space industry’s requirement for an aircraft capable of transporting large components of the Energia-Buran re-usable space shuttle system. Produced at different places in the former Soviet Union, various components had to be transported by air to Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan. The new aircraft was to be large enough to transport the 15-tonne, 59m (194ft) long, 8m (26ft) diameter main unit of the Energia space launcher. In addition, the new aircraft had to have the capability to return re-usable Buran space shuttles back to Baikonur in the event of a landing at any one of the various back-up airields …
