Ogden-based Jetway Systems has built more than 4,000 of its aircraft passenger boarding systems over the past 34 years, and two of the latest ones were scheduled to be airlifted Tuesday to Azerbaijan, one of the new independent states of the former Soviet Union.
Seven trucks were required to deliver the bridges, power converters, guidance systems and 60-foot-long Jetwalks to Emery Air Freight at the Salt Lake International Airport Monday afternoon.Emery had the arduous task of loading the seven truckloads of equipment into a single Russian cargo jet, an Antonov 124, said to be the largest aircraft in the world.
A spokesman for Jetway said loading was expected to take about 24 hours. If all went according to schedule, the plane was expected to be airborn late Tuesday afternoon for the long flight to Baku, Azerbaijan, where the Jetwalks will be installed at the Baku airport.
Salt Lakers got their first look at one of the giant Antonovs in May, 1991, when one of the planes belonging to the former Soviet Union came to Salt Lake International to pick up earthquake relief supplies for Soviet Armenia and Soviet Georgia.
According to the publication Jane's Aircraft, the Antonov 124 is "the largest aircraft currently flying, in terms of wingspan, with the heaviest max take-off weight of any aeroplane yet built." The 124 carries a 331,000-pound payload and has a wingspan of 240 feet.
The plane is flown by Air Foyle Limited, Luton, England.