Antonov An-124 expected in Costa Rica on Friday afternoon [Updated]

Update: The plane’s flight has been changed to Friday, May 31. FlightAware lists a 5:23 p.m. arrival time.

To track the plane on FlightAware, click here.

The Antonov An-124 is carrying a 30-ton transformer that will be transported from Alajuela to Limón and installed at APM Terminals Moín.

“Thanks to the support and seriousness of our company and the commitment that APM Terminals has with its clients and Costa Rica, there was no objection to making the investment and moving equipment of this size by air,” said Kenneth Waugh, director general of APM Terminals.

Original story: 

Residents living in the Central Valley should turn their eyes skyward Thursday afternoon.

An Antonov An-124, among the world’s largest planes, is expected to land at Costa Rica’s Juan Santamaría International Airport.

According to aviation blog AviacionCR.net, the massive Ukrainian jet is scheduled to land at approximately 3:30 p.m. It will reportedly remain on Costa Rican soil for a week.

An An-124 visited Costa Rica last November, delivering a replacement engine for a stranded aircraft.

The transport aircraft was designed and built in the Soviet Union, and the type’s first flight was in 1982.

A previous version of this story said the aircraft is Russian. While the plane flies for a Russian cargo airline, Antonov is a Ukrainian company.