Saudi Arabia-based Almajdouie Logistics Company (MLC) recently planned, executed and managed the complex move of a retired MD90 aircraft from Jeddah International Airport to Riyadh.

In collaboration with the Saudi Arabia Airlines, MLC technicians and engineers; specialising in the field of heavy transport, designed the transportation plan for its final destination at the Saudi Special Forces Training Centre, said a statement from the company.

To prepare for the journey estimated to take eight to 10 days, MLC conducted a series of road tests before preselecting a route that would take the twin-engine, short- to medium-range, single-aisle commercial jet airliner, along approximately 1200 km of roads over five days safely, it said.

The challenging move had to overcome the height limitation of the aircraft when placed on the trailers (exceeding 5.5M). In addition, the cargo had other obstacles, such as the sphere shape and the location of the tyres, making it difficult to leash to the trailers.

Mohamed Ashfaq, heavy lift manager in the Eastern Region, said: “We had to redesign the trailer by removing the beams and fabricating a special saddle, to reduce the height of the cargo to less than 5.5 m to meet the bridge maximum clearance of 5.5 m.”

“The successful move of the 43 m aircraft weighing 40 tonnes was another fine example of the ingenuity of our team and the collective contribution we avail to our clients,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service