The second An-225 “Mria” aircraft may be built if there are investments in the project. The Antonov state aircraft manufacturing enterprise’s First Vice President Oleksandr Kotsuba stated this during an interview with LІGA.net.
"According to conservative estimates, creation and launch of serial production of such an aircraft costs USD 3-4 billion. Preparation for production, production of tools, procurement of equipment, certification, and production of design documentation account for the lion's share of the costs," Kotsuba said.
According to him, everything necessary to assemble the airframe of a second Mria – the fuselage, wings, empennage – exists. However, the new aircraft should be more modern. "In terms of technology and engineering, it will be a completely different plane - with the latest equipment and engines," the first vice president of Antonov said.
According to Kotsuba, there is some interest in the Mria from China, since it has the ability to invest heavily, "but it is currently at the level of discussions."
In general, according to Kotsuba, the An-225 is very in demand on the transport market. As a rule, this applies to the most unusual cargoes that cannot be transported or difficult to transport by other means of transport. The service life of the Mria has been extended to 20,000 flight hours, 4,000 flights, or 45 years of operation. "This means that the aircraft will be in service at least until 2033," the first vice president of Antonov said.
As reported, Ukraine proposed completing construction of the second Mria aircraft jointly with Japan in 2013.
