Moving MD90 Aircraft in the Kingdom

On 17th November 2016, Almajdouie Logistics Company (MLC) 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. To prepare for the journey estimated to take 8-10 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 5 days safely. 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. Mr. Mohamed Ashfaq, Heavy Lift Manager in the Eastern Region explained, “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 5.5M to meet the bridge maximum clearance of 5.5m.“ The successful move of the 43 meters aircraft weighing 40 tons was another fine example of the ingenuity of our team and the collective contribution we avail to our clients.