The world's largest transport plane brought medical equipment to Poland. It will serve to fight the Covid-19 epidemic

Today at exactly 9.57 a.m. CET the Antonov An-225 Mrija, the world's largest transport plane, landed at Okęcie Airport in Warsaw. The massive aircraft brought the necessary means to fight the coronavirus to Poland. Within the filled to the brim hold of the plane there were, among others, FFP2 type protective masks, medical overalls and face protection visors.

Transport was prepared by KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. and Lotos S.A. on behalf of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister. The air giant took off yesterday from the airport in Tianjin, China. This is the largest single transport with medical assistance to fight the COVID-19 epidemic.

Arranging the shipment in record time was possible thanks to an enormous organisational effort and the support of Polish diplomatic services, the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of State Assets and the Polish embassy in Beijing.

"The arrival of this plane in Poland is the result of many days of tedious negotiations", said Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, present at the unloading, "I thank President Andrzej Duda. His personal talks with the President of the PRC helped a lot in the realisation of this undertaking."

The Prime Minister of the Polish government thanked the representatives of the management boards of KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. and the Lotos Group. "Without their involvement this transport would not have been possible," stressed Mateusz Morawiecki.

"This is yet another transport carried out at the request of the Head of Government" added the President of the Management Board of KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. Marcin Chludziński. "We help those who are in the front line in this difficult war against an invisible enemy. Above all, we want to help the medical services.

President Chludzinski pointed out that it was very important to deliver the maximum value of cargo to the country during one operation. "We have overcome many difficulties, many formal obstacles. Thanks to the support of the President, Prime Minister Morawiecki and other state institutions, we managed to overcome these barriers," concluded the head of the copper company.

"Our common goal was (and still is) to transport as much personal protective equipment as possible in the fastest possible way" added Paweł Jan Majewski, President of the Management Board of LOTOS Group. "We know how much these things are now needed by the services in our country. We are proud to be part of such a large-scale operation."

The head of the fuel giant stressed that this is not the last transport to be arranged by the State Treasury companies.

The Antonov An-225 Mrija ("mrija" in Ukrainian means "dream") is the largest aircraft in the world. The air giant is more than 84 metres long, the wingspan of the machine is nearly 85 metres, and its height equals that of a 6-storey building. The aircraft was the only one of its type manufactured. It was built in 1988, during the Soviet era, by the airline company Aviant airline company. It is so enormous that it is able to carry a space shuttle on its back, and nearly 100 cars or 250 tonnes of cargo in its cargo hold, which is twice its own weight.

Previously, the machine had visited Poland only twice - in 2003 and 2005, this is its first visit to the capital city airport.