A Russian Antonov, one of the world’s largest cargo planes, has been parked at Alicante airport since the end of March, something the airport is charging over a thousand euros a day for the privilege of. The plane, from the Ivory Coast, landed on 28 March without cargo and has not yet set departure date. “Parking fees” are calculated on the weight of the craft and duration of the stopover, meaning that the owners have clocked up a bill of over €20,000 to date.
Apparently, the plane is awaiting instructions for loading and is then capable of flying anywhere in the world. The Antonov has a capacity of 150 tons and can also carry 88 passengers but to give an idea of the size of the cargo an Antonov was used to transport yachts for the Volvo World Tour and can also carry helicopters. This is only the second time an aircraft of this size has been at Alicante-Elche airport although the last visitor, another Antonov, only stayed for a few hours.
