The operating life of An-26 freight aircraft with the Ukrainian crew that crashed on Wednesday off the coast of Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh was until June 2017 and the aircraft passed technical inspection in September 2015, the designer of the plane, Antonov State Enterprise (Kyiv) has said.

"According to information available at Antonov State Enterprise, An-26B aircraft with tail number S2-AGZ and serial number N134-08 belonged to Air URGA and was operated by True Aviation. The aircraft was built in Kyiv in 1984. Its operating life was until June 15, 2017," the press service of Antonov State Enterprise told Interfax-Ukraine.

"Last time the aircraft passed technical inspection in September 2015," Antonov said.

As reported, an Antonov An-26 plane crashed off the Bangladesh coast on March 9; it had four crewmembers onboard (all of them Ukrainian citizens). Bangladesh rescuers have found three crewmembers of the aforesaid plane. Three Ukrainian citizens were killed in the air crash, and another one is in critical condition at a local hospital where he is receiving all possible medical assistance.

URGA was founded in 1993 and put on the list of official carriers of the United Nations Organization in 1994. It provides passenger, luggage and cargo transportation to UN missions.