It’s been over a month since the legendary Antonov An-225 Mriya of Ukraine was destroyed during the Russian invasion of the country. After it was destroyed, the aircraft manufacturer realized that they simply did not have the money to bring the bird back to life. But to help Dream Fly again, it is launching a fundraiser.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has taken a toll on countless lives. The nation’s infrastructure also crumbles after each attack. Aviation is also not left alone. With the loss of An-225Flight restrictions are changing the way people travel and Rented aircraft can be stolen from Western owners. Through all of this, Ukrainians remain optimistic and hopeful. Antonov wants to see his An-225 Mriya back in the air, even if it takes a contribution to do so.
On March 24, Antonov CEO Sergii Bychkov posted a plea for help on the company’s Facebook page. It’s long, but here’s a piece of code:
Dear citizens of all countries of the world!
Among all the transport aircraft, a special place is given to the aircraft-225 “Dream” DP “ANTONOV” which is the largest in terms of bulk cargo and cannot be beat by the parameters. its. With more than 30 years of service on airlines of countries on all continents, this aircraft has demonstrated its unique flight engineering characteristics and the ability to carry large trucks like no other aircraft. any cargo is possible.
[…]
Despite the difficult times, the team of DP “ANTONOV” attaches great importance to preventing the completely irreversible loss of the legendary aircraft as one of the icons of modern times and embarked on the revival of the head of aviation transport An-225 “I am Mri. Unfortunately, in a difficult time for Ukraine and the dp “ANTONOV” to tackle this task there is a lack of funds.
We propose the establishment of an International Fund to revive the An-225 “Dream” transport aircraft.
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Some have wondered why the plane couldn’t just have been flown away to safety. The official explanation is that the aircraft was parked and undergoing repairs with an engine removed.
However, as Simple Flying report, one of the plane’s pilots blamed the An-225’s failure to escape due to mismanagement at Antonov. The pilot, Major Dmytro Antonov, alleges that Antonov’s leadership was warned in January of the possibility of war. The plane could have been moved to a safe location, but management decided not to do so. At this point Antonov has yet to confirm or deny the allegation.
Whatever happened, that is now a thing of the past and a symbol of Ukrainian pride is gone.
What the An-225’s revival looks like remains unclear. The original airframe has yet to be tested and it is unknown whether the second, unfinished airframe is still intact. However, photos and videos from Hostomel Airport showed the plane in poor condition with significant parts only completely burned to ashes.
Currently, fundraising donations are accepted via bank transfer, but I hope the company opens up something people can feel more comfortable with like GoFundMe. It is also unclear how much money Antonov is asking for. In the first days after the plane was destroyed, Ukrainian defense company Ukroboronprom said it would take $5 billion and five years to revive the plane.
Either way, hopefully one day, Dreams will fly again.
