The Worlds Largest Plane, Antonov An-225

USPA NEWS - Hundreds gathered along the perimeter of Bangor International Airport in Bangor, Maine to catch a glimpse of the Antonov An-225, which is the world's largest  plane, as it made its landing. Many people could be seen with cameras, binoculars, and radio scanners as they  looked to the sky with amazement.

So, why all the excitement? Operated by Ukraine-based Antonov Airlines, the Antonov An-225 was built in the 1980's and is the only one of its kind still in operation. It is almost the size of a  football field, from nose to tail and from the tip of one wing to the other. It has six jet engines and four stabilizers. Only the Airbus 380, a passenger aircraft, rivals the Antonov An-225 as far as size.

The massive cargo plane, a departed Gostomel Airport near Kiev at 7:59 p.m. July 30 Eastern European Summer Time, and traveled 4,280 miles to arrive in Bangor at 1:04 p.m. July 31 and is set to head to Glasgow, Scotland.

It´s not known why exactly the plane landed in Bangor, but recently the Antonov An-225 has been doing COVID-19  supply runs. It is not clear if this is one of those such flights.

It´s not the first time that the Antonov An-225 has landed at Bangor International Airport. The Ukrainian aircraft previously visited Bangor in 2003 and in 2015.

According to Wikipedia, "Antonov Airlines is a Ukrainian cargo airline, a division of the Antonov Aviation Company. It operates international charter services in the oversized-cargo market. Its main base is Hostomel Airport near Kiev. The company owns the only completed Antonov An-225 Mriya, the world's largest operational cargo aircraft."