KARACHI: A private moving company is transporting a decommissioned Boeing 737 airplane between two cities in southern Pakistan by road, with video clips of the unusual journey widely shared on electronic and social media on Thursday.
The 200-seater plane took its first flight on Mar. 1, 1991 and was operated across Europe and the Middle East. It was retired in Karachi in 2014 after over 23 years in service and is now being shifted to Hyderabad for training purposes by New Babar Cargo Movers.
Although it takes around two hours to reach Hyderabad from Karachi by road, the plane’s journey is expected to take longer as the aircraft is being moved at a cautious speed. Transporting the plane on a 40-wheel trailer also required dismantling its wings, engines and wheels to enable safe intercity travel on the M-9 Motorway, the mover company said in a statement.
“The aircraft has crossed Karachi Toll Plaza and is now traveling from the M-9 Motorway toward Hyderabad,” the brief statement shared among media groups said, with local channels widely broadcasting visuals of the plane mounted on the trailer. “It will be driven at a speed of 20 to 30 kilometers an hour.”
Pakistan’s Geo TV quoted motorway police as saying the highway between the two cities would not be blocked during the transfer.
The vehicle carrying the aircraft has been instructed to drive on one side of the road, escorted by Civil Aviation Authority staff and security.
“The plane is being moved as per protocol,” the channel reported.
A notice from the National Highways and Motorway Police dated Oct. 31 said the transporter would be responsible if NHA property was damaged during the move or if any harm was caused to commuters.
“In case of any untoward incident or fatal accident during the transportation, the sole responsibility shall rest on the transporter,” the NHA said.
Media glee in Pakistan as Boeing 737 moved from Karachi to Hyderabad by road
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Media glee in Pakistan as Boeing 737 moved from Karachi to Hyderabad by road
- Plane was retired in Karachi in 2014 and will be used for training purposes in Hyderabad
- Transporting plane on a 40-wheel trailer required dismantling its wings, engines and wheels