Plane loaded on truck safely 'lands' in Hyderabad

The retired Boeing-737 which started its road trip from Karachi on a truck trailer on October 31 reached Hyderabad on Friday afternoon, arriving at its destination at the training institute of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). After breaking the journey on Thursday evening on M9 Motorway, due to heavy flow of traffic, the transporters set off for Hyderabad on Friday morning.

The convoy of trucks, which were also carrying disassembled parts of the aircraft, ferried through big and small roads of the city on way to the CAA's facility which is located in the Kohsar area of Latifabad. A CAA official, Muhammad Munir, told The Express Tribune that one more plane will be brought through the road in a week for the training institute.

Muhammad Ameen Qaseem Private Limited, the logistics company, had worked out the route for the cargo which was delivered by New Babar Cargo Movers Company. Waseem Abbassi of the logistics company informed that they provided a complete traffic management plan to the Sindh police and the National Highways and the Motorway Police. A no objection certificate was also obtained.

The truck's driver, Irshad Ahmed, claimed that in his entire career of around four decades he has never transported a plane. "It's a huge honour for me." The plane's movement while being mounted on a truck trailer created a spectre for the citizens who were present on the roads through which the convoy passed. The people queued up to witness the shipment of a truck mounted plane.

The convoy took the route from Hyderabad Bypass to Hatri. It later moved through New Hyderabad City, Hyderabad-Mirpurkhas Road, Ghangra Mori, Fateh Chowk and Hyderabad-Tando Muhammad Khan Road before heading towards Gulistan-e-Sarmast and Kohsar.