Manchester City has teamed up with partner Etihad Airways in the international transportation of two player statues from across the world to Manchester.

 

The large scale statues of club legends Vincent Kompany and David Silva have travelled 5,778 miles (approx. 9,300 kilometres) from the United States to Manchester ahead of their installation at the Etihad Stadium later this week, the club said in a statement.

 

Glasgow-born sculptor Andy Scott was appointed by the club 15 months ago to bring the legends to life in sculpture form from his studio in Philadelphia. The entire process from commissioning to design and build has been conducted remotely due to travel restrictions relating to the global pandemic.

 

Following completion of the statues, the work of logistics and transportation began with Etihad Cargo providing end-to-end service throughout the process. 

 

Separated into four parts and meticulously packaged, these sizeable statues were trucked from Andy’s studio in Philadelphia to Chicago, loaded onto a Boeing 777 Freighter and flown to Frankfurt and then transported by road to Manchester, ready to be installed on August 28.

 

Hailing Etihad’s support in the delivery process, Manchester City’s Director of Infrastructure Ed Dalton said: “These statues are bespoke and premium pieces of art that have been 15 months in the making. The precious nature of the pieces together with their sheer size and weight, meant that their transportation to Manchester was going to be a challenging and complex process.

 

"Etihad Cargo’s dedicated team have worked with the club closely throughout this process and have been the perfect partner - highly organised, professional and collaborative and we are grateful for their assistance.”

 

Etihad Aviation Group Senior Vice President Sales and Cargo Martin Drew added: “As partners to Manchester City for more than 12 years, we have watched what Vincent Kompany and David Silva have achieved for the club. Our team was, therefore, even more excited by this opportunity. 

 

"The complexity of this operation involved months of planning and technical expertise in close co-operation with the club. The successful delivery of this consignment demonstrated the teamwork capabilities within the Etihad network.”-TradeArabia News Service