Antonov AN-225 Mriya: World’s largest plane touches down in Karachi

KARACHI: A Russia-made – world’s heaviest cargo aircraft Antonov AN -225 Mriya – touched down on Jinnah International Airport Karachi late on Friday night.

Antonov AN -225 consists of six engines, and it made an emergency landing in the provincial capital of Sindh after the jet ran out of fuel. Following fuel shortage, the captain contacted control tower at the Karachi airport and asked for permission to make emergency landing, which was granted by the control tower in time.

According to the airport’s manager, the Russian plane has been provided with fuel and is expected to depart by evening as the cabin crew was on a rest-break.

Interestingly, the craft had also made an emergency landing at Colombo airport for refueling a day ago.

The Antonov AN-225 Mriya, a strategic airlift cargo aircraft, was designed by the Antonov Design Bureau in the Ukraine during the Soviet era in 1980s. Powered by six turbofan engines, it is the heaviest aircraft ever built and has a maximum takeoff weight of 640 tonnes. The Mriya also has the largest wingspan of any aircraft in operational service.

Mriya landed at the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) on Friday morning, Sri Lankan daily mirror quoted Airport Manager Upali Kalansuriya as saying.

“It is iconic to have the world’s largest aircraft at MRIA and it is the first time that this type of aircraft arrived in the country. The aircraft arrived from Kuala Lumpur and has scheduled to departure for Karachi, Pakistan 2.00 a.m tomorrow,” he said.