CNN ONLINE

For avgeeks, the destruction of the world’s largest commercial plane was one of the key images at the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In February, the Antonov AN-225 was attacked at its base in Hostomel, near Kyiv.

“The dream will never die,” tweeted the manufacturers when it was destroyed.

Now it looks like they have stayed true to their word, with the company announcing that plans to rebuild it are already underway.

Nicknamed “Mriya” -- Ukrainian for “dream” -- the massive plane was built in the 1980s to carry the Soviet space shuttle.

Its later life, while slightly less glamorous, was equally iconic -- it was the world’s largest cargo transporter, with around twice the hold capacity as a Boeing 747, winning cult status among self-styled avgeeks. It stretched to 84 meters, or 275 feet, with the longest wingspan of any fully operational airplane. To date, it is the heaviest aircraft ever built.