HAPPE landing
World’s largest jet touches down with 900,000 medical gowns
THE world’s largest aircraft touched down at Shannon Airport yesterday afternoon.
The Antonov An-225, which has a wider wingspan than Croke Park’s pitch, arrived with nearly 900,000 medical gowns for distribution in Ireland.
The six-engine “Mriya” flew from Baku in Azerbaijan and landed in Dublin shortly after 1.30pm.
The AN-225 took 20 men, on shift rotation, 15 hours to hand load 6,249 boxes weighing 18kg each.
Shannon’s Niall Maloney said: “With a wing span wider than the Croke Park pitch and, from nose to tail, over one-and-a-half times the length of an Olympic swimming pool, the Antonov 225 stands alone as the largest and most powerful planes ever made.
“Shannon Airport is proud to have played its part in bringing this vital cargo to Ireland. Our airport staff have been working on the frontline ensuring the safe arrival of PPE cargo flights since the start of the crisis.
“We love having the Antonov here. It’s an incredible aircraft and when you see it on the taxiway here, it dwarfs anything else on the airfield.
“When you take its enormous size into perspective, it’s almost unbelievable that it can get up into the skies, let alone be as graceful when it’s up there.”the plane weighs as much as nine Boeing 737 aircraft, the same plane Ryanair usually uses for its flights.
The Antonov was built in 1988 for the Russian Space Programme and it is the only operational model in the world today.
It is more than six storeys high and made up of seven million pounds of
metal. It can carry up to 250 tonnes of cargo, which is the equivalent of 52 mature elephants.
The flight to Shannon this week was due to arrive on Tuesday but was delayed after suffering a technical issue.
The AN-225 is the second plane carrying medical gowns to arrive in Shannon in the past few days. A
Boeing 737 landed in Shannon on Monday.
Meanwhile, Aer Lingus has confirmed it will resume flights to and from Dublin Airport to destinations across the UK on a phased basis from July 14.
Operator Stobart Air said there will be enhanced health and safety measures from the first set of flights, which include Dublin to Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Other services from the capital across the UK are scheduled to resume from the beginning of August.
New safety measures will be in place across the services including mandatory face coverings for passenafternoon gers and cabin crew. There will also be enhanced cleaning and disinfection procedures on all aircraft as well as a deep clean overnight on planes.
Managing Director of Stobart Air Andy Jolly said: “Stobart Air is committed to providing essential connectivity between Ireland and the UK and Europe into the future, in line with Government guidance.
“Passengers can be assured that enhanced health and safety measures are now in place to protect them, our staff and our airline partners.
“We look forward to welcoming our passengers, staff and crew back on board our services.”