747's Bizarre Journey: 150-Ton Plane Transports Across Netherlands

In 2019, a massive operation was undertaken to transport a retired Boeing 747 from Schiphol airport in the Netherlands to the Corendon Hotel. The plane weighed around 150 tons and required specialized equipment and a significant amount of preparation to traverse the 17 trenches and cross the A9 highway overnight.

Mammoet was responsible for moving the giant on modular platforms, with 352 tires distributed across 44 axle lines to support its massive weight. The company Deinum participated in the work by installing plates to form provisional surfaces along the route, allowing the plane to advance slowly and carefully.

The operation was not without its challenges, as the Boeing 747 had to cross the A9 highway during the night from Friday to Saturday, minimizing the impact on traffic. The founder of Corendon, Atilay Uslu, admitted in an interview that he did not anticipate the scale of the problem and had some regrets about the decision to move forward.

The paradox is precisely this: an aircraft capable of traveling thousands of kilometers through the air required massive preparation to traverse a relatively short distance on land. The Jumbo Jet was designed to use speed and aerodynamics to carry hundreds of tons into the skies, but once off the runway, all those advantages ceased to exist.