World's Largest Cargo Aircraft to Carry Czech-Made Generator to Australia

The biggest cargo aircraft in the world, the An-225 Mriya, arrived in Prague to carry a generator made in the western Czech city of Pilsen to Australia, local media reported Tuesday.

PRAGUE (Sputnik) — According to Czech Radio, the generator is expected to arrive in Australia on Thursday and weighs some 120 metric tons.

Usually such cargoes are transported by sea but in this case it was decided to dispatch the generator by air because of the urgent needs of the Australian side, the broadcaster noted.

The An-225 Mriya was developed in the Soviet Union within the framework of the country's space program. The aircraft, originally conceived to airlift the Soviet Buran (Snow Storm) reusable space shuttle, is currently operated by Ukraine's Antonov Airlines. It has achieved a number of records, including having the largest carrying capacity of 253.8 metric tons.