Crash-landed Saudi plane to be shifted to Hyderabad on 21st

The Saudi aircraft that had made a crash landing at the Karachi airport 13 years ago will be transferred to Hyderabad via the National Highway on a giant trailer in the early hours of November 21.

The transfer of the 60-tonne, 160-foot-long aircraft will be carried out by the New Babar Cargo Movers using the longest trailer equipped with German technology. According to Project Director Munir Alam, the aircraft will be moved from the Malir National Highway through Gharo and Thatta to the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) training centre in Hyderabad, and the necessary NOCs have been obtained from the relevant authorities.

Officials said that to facilitate the transfer, the aircraft has been divided into two parts to avoid disruption to traffic during the journey. This will be the second aircraft to be transferred to the Pakistan CAA’s training institution CATI (Civil Aviation Training Institute), as a Boeing aircraft was also transferred to Hyderabad via the motorway a few days ago.

Sources said that the chartered aircraft MD 83, prepared for the transfer to Hyderabad, had made an emergency landing at the Karachi airport on December 25, 2011, due to the nose wheel not opening.

The aircraft, which was under the use of a Saudi prince, experienced a technical malfunction while travelling from Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, to Quetta. After three attempts, an expert pilot safely landed the aircraft at the Karachi airport without the nose wheel being open, and 72 employees and crew members of the Saudi prince remained unharmed. The aircraft had been idle at the Karachi airport for nearly 13 years, and will now be used for training purposes.