16 April 2020: AN-225 Mriya carried a cargo of medical suppliers of a record volume to fight the global pandemic of COVID-19.
The world's biggest aircraft, AN-225 Mriya carried a record volume of 1000 cubic meters load of medicines, reagents for laboratory tests, medical masks and other protective means from China to Warsaw in Poland on 14th April 2020.
A cargo of such volume was not carried in aircraft compartment ever before in the history of global aviation.
The Mriya was fitted with a new power plant control system, LCD devices of the engine control made in Ukraine, new lightning LED equipment with better characteristics of energy saving and reliability. The maintenance and modernisation was done by Antonov while the flight was ordered by Chapman Freeborn Airchartering Ltd.
Vitaliy Shost, Senior Deputy Director of Antonov Airlines said "Our team is very proud of possibility to contribute and take part in fight against the global pandemic. Procedures of planning and performing the charter flights under the quarantine conditions, including restrictions for landing and rest of the crew introduced by many counties need selfless efforts from each employee of the airlines: from commercial and operational specialists working in the office to pilots and technicians being on board the aircraft. So, I would like to thank to everybody, who takes part in organization of the humanitarian missions from China and in particular to those who are involved personally in the AN-225 flight to Warsaw. We are much obliged to our customer Chapman Freeborn for cooperation and possibility to perform such important and necessary mission together".
AN-225 Mriya set over 250 aviation records, in particular, by transportation of mono cargo weighting 187.6 t and the absolute record of payload of 253.8 t.